What if?
by Give-Me-Your-Coffee
Summary: What if it had been Ben instead of Goodwin who'd come to the pharmacy looking for gauze? What if Juliet had liked Ben back? A slightly fluffy story about the courtship of Ben and Juliet
1. Gauze

I was intrigued by the episode, "The Other Woman." I can't be the only one that wanted to see Ben have a romance, can I? What if it had been Ben instead of Goodwin who'd come to the lab looking for gauze? This will probably get naughty in later chapters. ~Coffee

...

She'd been with them for a month, a whole month, and despite weeks upon weeks of sleepless nights, endless tests, and the weight of the entire community watching her, waiting for her to find the piece that would solve the puzzle of their fertility issues, with their hopeful glances and hushed, reverent conversations when her back was turned…she'd failed. Miserably.

For a month, a whole month, she'd spent almost every day with Henrietta, holding her hand, and telling her not to be afraid; she was a fertility specialist. She was going to make it all right. Henrietta had believed her, trusted her. Henrietta had good hands, strong hands that looked more than capable of raising a child: motherly hands.

Not anymore.

A fresh wave of grief hit Juliet. She'd been sitting on the floor and crying for nearly an hour now, unable to get up and go about her work. They'd lost Henrietta that morning, and Juliet hadn't shed a single tear in front of the friends and family she's had to inform of her death. They'd all looked at her differently that day. Harper had been right. She was no longer their "celebrity."

Of course, no one had come right out and said it, but she could feel the shift in their gazes. This magical woman who'd somehow managed to impregnate a male rodent was apparently incapable of figuring out how to get a perfectly healthy woman through her second trimester on this godforsaken island. She was a hack, and Henrietta had paid the price of her incompetence. It was only a matter of time before they came after her with pitchforks.

And no one understood the worst part, which was that Juliet actually HAD thought she could do this. She'd been so confident, so sure. Henrietta became more of a friend than her patient. Juliet had let her walls down, let the poor scared pregnant woman into her heart, because deep down she had been sure that Henrietta would be fine, that she, Juliet, would MAKE her be fine.

Obviously, she'd been wrong.

She brushed her tears away with the back of her hand and choked out another sob. She should be getting back to work, reviewing the data, figuring out what went wrong, and doing everything she could to prevent it from happening again, but her heart was too heavy with sorrow. She hadn't even been able to perform the autopsy. In fact, when Ethan had suggested it, she'd had to swallow back a mouthful of sour bile at the thought of cutting open the woman she'd allowed to die. She requested that he do the procedure, citing the point that she was a fertility doctor, and not a surgeon. Even so, she'd been forced to observe and assist in order to compile more data...data that would supposedly prevent this from all reoccurring. Even now, the autopsy report was sitting on her desk, and she couldn't bring herself to look at it.

It was all so hopeless. She curled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her hands. Maybe she could resign, leave early and get back to the one success she had to cling to. _Rachel_…

There was a crashing sound in the pharmacy.

Juliet quickly brushed the tears off her face and pulled herself together. It wouldn't do for anyone to see her like this. She stood on shaking legs and went to investigate.

Coming through the door, she called out to the figure wedged between the shelves of medical supplies.

"You okay?" Her tone was a bit more acidic than she'd intended it to be.

The figure turned, and to Juliet's surprise and horror, it was none other than Ben Linus.

"Uh, I was just looking for the gauze," he muttered a little sheepishly. "I didn't know anybody was here." His eyes, always blue, always piercing, took in her appearance, no doubt noting her puffy red eyes and swollen nose.

_Dammit_, she thought. Of all the people to show up right now, the last one she wanted to see was Benjamin Linus. He was the one who'd made the biggest effort to bring her here, to make her feel comfortable, and to encourage her. She met his gaze tiredly, bracing herself to read disappointment there. Instead, he just looked bewildered.

She strode towards him, wondering what the gauze was for, and noted his apprehension at her approach. Her gaze moved down over his forearm to see the nasty burn that had taken up residence there.

"How'd you manage that?" she asked coolly, pretending not to notice how intently Ben was studying her.

"I was over at the power station and accidentally pressed it up against a transformer," he replied evenly, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Take a seat, let me take a look at it," she sighed, motioning to a nearby stool. Ben quickly complied, holding out his arm for her perusal. She held his wrist and gently examined the wound, lightly palpating its edges. Ben said nothing, but he was watching her intently. She moved to find a bandage and some antiseptic. Ben didn't flinch as she moved back in front of him and began cleaning the burn.

"I heard we lost Henrietta this morning," he said quietly, watching for her reaction. Juliet tried to hold on to her composure, but the wave of grief hit her again, and she could feel her face squeeze up in an effort not to cry. She could not cry in front of Ben. He was always calm and controlled. The others watched him and whispered about him in the same reverent tones they'd used to use about her, but Juliet had a sneaking suspicion that in Ben's case, those whispers were justified. He was their leader, and they followed him with a sense of awe that Juliet with her brief celebrity status had never managed to achieve. She sniffled pathetically as she methodically placed a pad of gauze onto the clean wound and began taping the edges to his skin with surgical tape, hating her weakness.

"Hey, it's okay," he said soothingly, trying to catch her gaze with a sympathetic expression. "It's not your fault."

"Pregnant women are dying on this island," she said, looking only at his arm and nowhere else. "I was brought here to help fix that…" she looked up into his face, her eyes starting to tear up again. "So whose fault is it?"

Ben's face was sad.

"Believe me," he murmured. "No one expects you to fix it overnight."

Juliet managed not to scoff. _I should have been able to. _There was a brief pause.

"Do you have anyone to talk to?" he queried gently. "Any friends here?" She shook her head just enough to indicate the negative and said nothing. His burn was almost completely dressed. "Maybe Harper?" he suggested.

This time she did scoff, openly.

"Harper hates me," she said matter-of-factly. "We only talk because we have to. I get the feeling that she's a mean and spiteful person."

She looked up in time to catch the ghost of a smile on Ben's lips, as though he couldn't say it, but he agreed with her. She felt a small sense of relief, realizing that it probably wasn't smart to trash a fellow employee in front of the boss. "I'm sorry," she added, chagrined.

"No, please, don't apologize," he responded quickly. "Your frankness is refreshing." Again, he gave her that soft, coaxing smile. She returned it with a small one of her own as she taped the last edge of gauze.

"Okay, well, you're all set," she said, moving to return the remaining supplies to their proper locations.

"Thank you," he replied while observing her handiwork. She heard him stand up behind her as she rearranged the cabinet in front of her, but she didn't realize he had moved closer until he spoke again.

"Juliet," he cleared his throat, and she turned around in surprise. He was only a few feet away, and she was struck again by the intensity of his expression. "If you need to talk, I'm around, and I'm an _excellent_ listener," he smiled at her again, the same earnest, sweet smile he'd given her the day he'd presented her with her house, and Juliet found herself grinning back at him.

"Thank you," she replied.

He nodded courteously and turned to leave, making his way to the door. Unbidden, Juliet's eyes followed him. He paused with his hand on the door handle and looked up at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, trying to make it sound like a statement, but the result was more of a request. He looked at her hopefully, and Juliet smiled and nodded at him. Ben grinned one of his rare, full smiles and then he left.

Juliet went back to her lab no longer feeling alone.

...

It was the beginning of a strange sort of friendship.

True to his word, Ben did come to see her in the lab the next day, and he brought her a chocolate bar along with a few words of encouragement, both of which she appreciated greatly.

The day after, he caught up to her in the cafeteria line and asked her to sit with him for lunch, and she quickly said 'yes,' which seemed to please him immeasurably. She hated having her lunch at the cafeteria. She always sat alone while the other residents sat together and pointed her out to each other when they thought she wasn't looking. Usually she simply brought a sandwich to the lab and ate there, but she'd forgotten to make one that morning, and frankly, she was getting tired of eating sandwiches. Alone.

Lunch with Ben was different. As the two of them sat and ate, people actually approached their table to say hello. Ben was quick to introduce Juliet to anyone she hadn't met yet, and he kept the conversation between them light and witty. She couldn't help but notice, however, that they were being observed with sidelong glances that were curious and speculative.

"Do they always watch you like that?" she asked, scooping the last of her stew into her mouth. It was rich and delicious.

"Yes," he replied, without looking around to see what she was talking about.

"You're like the most popular boy in school," she'd teased, earning herself a chuckle from across the table.

But the analogy wasn't far off. The more time she spent with Ben in the following week, the more comfortable the others seemed with her. People began approaching her whenever they saw her, saying hello, or asking for a small bit of medical advice. They started to wave instead of whisper.

For the first time on the island, she began to feel at home.


	2. Drink

Juliet was finally done for the day. She'd typed up her reports, and the cell cultures she'd started would need another forty-eight hours to grow before she could do anything relevant with them. Glancing up at the clock on the wall and seeing that it was just hitting four, she stretched and decided to leave the lab an hour early. Gathering her things together, including copies of her reports to give to Ben, she turned off the lights and walked out the door, locking it behind her.

She made her way across the village, never failing to admire its neat lines and cheerful colors. There was a hint of Levittown to the design, and for some reason, this appealed to her; it was a reminder of days past and man's impetus to create utopia.

She walked lightly down the path that led to Ben's house, wondering if he were home, and if she could perhaps drop her reports off to him now. People smiled and acknowledged her along the way, and she returned the gesture, marveling over the change of mood she felt. On this warm afternoon, with the sun shining, and the smell of sweet greenery in the air, it was possible to believe that she really did live in Utopia.

She made her way up the steps and onto Ben's front porch. It was foolish to think he might be home—Ben worked longer and harder than anyone on the island; he seemed to be everywhere at once—but just in case, she knocked on the door and prepared to leave her reports in his mailbox in case he didn't answer.

But suddenly, the door flew open, and there he was, wiping his hands on a dish towel.

"Well hello, Juliet," he said, looking very pleased to see her. "What can I do for you?"

"Um, hello," she stammered. "I didn't think you'd be home…I just came to bring you my latest lab reports."

"Oh, wonderful!" he cried. "Please, do come in."

Ben ushered her inside before she could refuse, not that she wanted to refuse, but she'd never seen into the personal, private life of Benjamin Linus before, and suddenly she found herself surrounded by it.

His house was neat and tidy, almost to the point of fastidiousness. His living area was to her left. It had plenty of seating, which led her to wonder if Ben was someone who regularly entertained in his home, or if the extra seats were a necessity for meetings and island business. There were several paperbacks on the coffee table, and she was struck by a sudden urge to walk over and check their titles. She knew Ben liked to read, but _what_ he liked to read was still a mystery to her.

There were pictures of Ben and his daughter Alex on the walls. Juliet hadn't really had a chance to meet the girl, but she'd caught glimpses of her here and there throughout the community. She had a hard time picturing Ben as a father, and was fiercely curious at to what his child would be like.

There was a piano in the corner of the room. Juliet had been a proficient piano player in her youth. She wondered how much she still remembered, and whether it was Ben's or Alex's…or both?

Her eyes followed the lines of the walls from left to right. To the right was Ben's kitchen, Ben's office, and also Ben. He was quietly standing, waiting patiently for her to finish looking around, his expression amused.

"I'm sorry," she said, coming back to reality. "It's always interesting seeing the inside of someone's home for the first time." _Especially yours._

"Understandable," he replied amiably, turning and reaching into the cupboard behind him. "I look forward to returning the favor someday. Please, have a seat. Set those reports on the table."

She did as he requested, taking care to arrange the pile in an orderly fashion. When she looked back up, Ben was approaching the table with a bottle of pinot noir and two wine glasses in his hands. "Would you care for a drink?" he asked, shaking the bottle slightly in an obvious attempt to tantalize her. Juliet smirked and nodded.

Ben cheerfully uncorked the bottle, poured her a generous glass and handed it to her with a small flourish. He then poured himself a glass, re-corked the wine, and turned his full attention on her. Juliet took a small sip, savoring the flavor for a moment before taking another, aware the entire time that Ben's eyes were on her.

"How is it?" he prodded.

"Excellent," she smiled. "Thank you."

Ben took a sip from his own glass. "I agree."

For a moment, they were silent. Ben was studying her face again, those eyes of his unblinking in their intensity. Juliet cleared her throat.

"So, Ben, what has you home at four PM on a Wednesday?"

"Well, Juliet, if you can believe it, Alex and I are having a family dinner tonight, and I'm making a lasagna." He gestured to the counter behind him, and Juliet could see a box of pasta and a jar of sauce sitting in what she presumed was to be the lasagna pan. "You're welcome to join us, if you like."

"No, thank you," Juliet shook her head. "I couldn't intrude."

"Not at all!" Ben cried. "In fact, I would welcome the company. Alex hasn't been very happy with me as of late. We're barely on speaking terms."

"How old is she?"

"Sixteen."

"Ah," Juliet took another sip of wine. "Such a lovely age."

"You have no idea," Ben scoffed. "She has this boyfriend _Karl. _I've been informed that they're _in_ _love_," he rolled his eyes. Juliet groaned in sympathy.

"Well, as delightful as your impending family dinner sounds," she quipped. "I'm afraid I must decline your invitation."

Ben nodded in acceptance.

"I can't say that I blame you," he grimaced. "I'd decline the invitation too if I wasn't the one doing the cooking."

"But…another time? Maybe?" Juliet made this offer hesitantly. There was something about Ben that both intrigued and unnerved her. He was so…intense. But he was also one of the few people here that she'd made a real connection to, and she'd be a fool to reject his offer of friendship.

Ben's face lit up at her offer to share a meal, and Juliet was flattered that someone would be so joyous at the mere prospect of spending time with her.

"Of course," he responded. "That would be lovely. Cheers." He raised his glass to clink it against hers, and they both drank. Ben started to say something else, but the front door suddenly burst open.

"Hello Alex," Ben called out to his daughter as she flew through the door, slamming it behind her and chucking her backpack onto the couch. She whirled around and froze in surprise at the sight of Juliet. "Come meet Dr. Burke," Ben intoned with a gesture.

Alex, looking chagrined, came over to shake Juliet's hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said, looking from Juliet to her father and back again. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Same here," Juliet replied, giving Alex her warmest smile. "Rough day?" she asked with a significant glance from the door to the couch.

"Uh, yeah, you could say that," Alex replied, shooting a dagger-filled look at Ben, whose expression did not change. Alex's gaze fell to the bottle of wine and the two half-filled glasses on the table. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked slyly, looking over at Juliet.

"Not at all," Juliet replied. "I brought over some reports and your dad offered me a post-work drink."

"I'm just about to start dinner," Ben said, standing up and moving into the kitchen area. "Perhaps you could keep Juliet company while I cook."

"I can't. I have homework to do," Alex told him flatly. Ben locked eyes with his daughter, and Juliet could see that her impertinence was angering him. She interjected before he could reply.

"That's okay, I should be going anyway," she stood up and gave Alex a conciliatory pat on the shoulder. "Maybe another time?" she asked, her expression understanding and a tad rueful.

"Yeah, sure," Alex replied with a small smile. "It was nice to meet you."

"Same here."

Alex walked back over to the couch and snatched up her book bag, heading for what Juliet assumed was her bedroom.

"Dinner's in an hour!" Ben called after her, but the only response he received was the sound of Alex's door closing shut. He sighed and braced his hands on the countertop.

"I'm sorry about that," he said to Juliet. "She's not usually so rude."

"That's okay," she replied, gesturing to Alex's bedroom with her wineglass. "At least she didn't slam the door that time."

"Yes, thank goodness for small miracles," Ben muttered sarcastically, shaking his head. Juliet smiled and finished her wine.

"It's a tough age," she murmured. "I remember. Everything was so intense." She looked up at Ben who was listening with great interest. "She'll even out in a couple of years. You just have to hang on."

"I intend to do just that," he replied ruefully. "Although it may drive me insane in the process."

"Well," Juliet chuckled. "You could always take up drinking." She was teasing of course, shaking her empty wine glass in the same enticing manner he'd used on the wine bottle earlier, but she was shocked to see his face suddenly contort with anger. He broke their eye contact and directed his gaze down at the countertop and said nothing. Juliet was appalled. "Ben, I didn't mean…"

"It's fine," he interrupted her, looking back up with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I should really get started with dinner. Please, go enjoy your evening."

Taking the hint, Juliet set her glass down on the table, gathered her things together, and made her way to the door. She opened it and paused with her hand on the doorknob.

"Goodnight, Ben."

"Goodnight, Juliet."

He didn't look up from the pot he was filling with water in the sink.

Juliet left the house quickly, mortified, wondering what it was that she'd inadvertently stepped into, and hoping she hadn't just lost her only friend.


	3. Lab

He found her in the lab the next morning.

She looked up as he came through the door, and instantly a thousand apologies flooded into her mouth. She'd been up for a significant portion of the evening before, berating herself for making such a thoughtless comment, for upsetting him the way she obviously had. The look on his face had cut her deeply, and she wondered what could have happened to him to make him react so badly to what she'd meant to be an innocent joke.

"Ben, I…" she rose off her lab stool to address him properly, reaching out her hands in a gesture of supplication, but as he approached her, he took up both of her hands in a gesture that clearly meant she should stop.

"Juliet," he said kindly. "I owe you an apology."

"For what?" she asked, her eyes widened in surprise.

"I didn't mean to react the way I did last night…" he sat down on the lab stool next to hers, and gestured for her to resume her seat as well. Then he proceeded to tell her, in short clipped sentences, about his own abusive, alcoholic father. He was sparse with the details, but Juliet was more than capable of filling in the blanks. She knew what it was like to come from a broken home.

"Where is he now?" she asked when Ben had finished.

"Dead," he replied briefly. There was a hint of satisfaction in his tone that disturbed her, but then again, she'd wished for her ex-husband to be hit by a bus…and then it had happened.

"I'm sorry Ben," she apologized, placing a comforting hand on his forearm. Ben stared at the point of contact for moment, his eyes gleaming, before sliding his arm out of her grasp and catching her hand in his.

"I don't need your pity, Juliet," he said evenly, looking up at her. "I just need you to understand…the thought of being like him, acting the way he did…"

"I do." She replied, meeting his gaze. "I do understand."

"Good," he said, giving her hand a squeeze before letting it go and rising to his feet. "I have business to attend to. I'll see you later."

"Okay," she said, getting to her feet as well. He lingered for a moment, studying her face, before saying 'goodbye' and walking out the door. She watched him leave and caught a glimpse of his expression through the window.

He looked triumphant.

…

After that incident, Ben became more or less a constant fixture in her day-to-day experiences on the island. She would see him in the cafeteria, cross paths with him as they left their houses for work in the morning. Sometimes he would be waiting for her after work on the bench outside the lab, book in hand, and offer to walk with her the few yards to her house. He was pleasant, attentive, and always happy to see her. She felt flattered and special in response, especially when she noticed some of the mildly envious looks from certain female members of the community.

It wasn't that she hadn't realized that Ben was an attractive, high-status member of this little society, but the time they spent together was always friendly—just friendly. Her conversations with Ben were humorous, not flirtatious. He rarely attempted to intrude on her personal space, or make physical contact with her the way a potential lover would. He was simply Ben, and she was grateful to have his friendship in her life.

In the meantime, any inclinations towards dating and/or excessive socializing were usually consumed by work. Henrietta's death still haunted her, and she was determined to solve the fertility issue on this island before her six months was up, and she was already two weeks into month number two. She had more data than she knew what to do with, and yet she hadn't been able to crack it, to see the underlying trend that would render a solution, and she was beginning to feel frustrated.

…

It was eight p.m. already, and Juliet was exhausted, but she reminded herself that if she didn't start these cultures now, she was going to have to be in here over the weekend to process them instead of doing it first thing Monday morning. It was Friday, and she'd put in nearly eighty hours this week, working straight through the previous weekend, certain she was about to have a breakthrough, and yet she still had nothing but questions, and more questions meant more tests, which meant more time right here in the lab.

She sighed and resolutely straightened the seams of her lab coat. Grabbing the still-cold discs of growth medium, she resignedly began smearing the discs with the cellular solutions she'd spent the afternoon preparing, tediously labeling each disc as she went along. She was about halfway through when she heard a tentative knock, and the sound of the door opening.

It was Ben. He was carrying a covered tray, and it smelled _good_. Her stomach grumbled in response as he approached, but he had the good manners to pretend that he didn't hear it.

"Burning the midnight oil?" he quipped, setting the tray down a safe distance away from her work.

"Bringing me my bread and water?" she shot back, finishing her label before turning to give him her full attention.

"Well, I figured I ought to reward your self-incarceration…I mean, _dedication_. I'm surprised to find you haven't chained yourself to the table," He grinned at her, an expression she'd noticed he rarely shared with anyone else. "Come over here and eat your dinner."

He pulled the cover off of the tray, revealing a plate of chicken and dumplings, a bowl of salad tossed with some kind of vinaigrette, and a bottled water.

"What, no dessert?" she teased, trying not to look at the meal longingly. Ben quirked an eyebrow at her and proceeded to produce a chocolate bar from a pocket in his shoulder bag. He placed it daintily on the tray. _There._

Juliet laughed and put her head in her hands. "You're spoiling me," she chuckled, looking up at him peevishly.

"Not at all," he replied, taking a seat.

"Ben, it's not that I don't appreciate this, but I have to finish these cultures tonight," she protested, gesturing to the cylinders of growth medium in front of her.

"Eat your dinner first, and then I'll help you finish them," he responded logically.

"Can you do that?" she asked, dubiously.

"Well, I may not be a brilliant scientist, _Juliet_," he replied acerbically. "But I _am_ capable of holding a pen and writing out a _label_."

"That's good to know."

With her last line of objection defeated, she shifted her chair closer to him and to the tray and began to inhale the meal voraciously.

"Ben, this is _amazing_," she said around a mouthful. "Thank you."

She saw the corners of his eyes crinkle in pleasure at her words. The tips of his ears turned pink. Compliments were never wasted on Ben. She could tell that he cherished every one.

"Did you make this?" she queried, opening the water bottle and taking a swig.

"Yes, and if you don't slow down, you're going to choke on it," he snorted.

"Sorry," she said. "But I'm _starving_. Have you eaten already?" She was loading her fork with vegetables.

"Yes, but I saved dessert," he pulled another chocolate bar from his bag. She grinned at him and proceeded to wolf down the rest of her meal, doing her best to satiate her hunger _and_ enjoy the food at the same time. When she was finished, she pushed the tray away, pulled her used napkin from her lap to set on top of it, and picked up her chocolate bar with nimble fingers.

"Here's to your culinary expertise, Ben," she tapped her candy bar lightly against his in a mock toast before opening the wrapper. "Please, never hesitate to cook for me again."

Ben smiled as they ceremoniously bit into their chocolate together.

"Had I known you were incapable of feeding yourself, I would have arranged for you to have a chef to make use of that well-stocked fridge," he teased.

"Please," Juliet said, growing serious, the levity of the moment gone. "You've done enough for me already. It's my turn to hold up the bargain."

She set her half-eaten chocolate down and turned back to her cell cultures. Ben followed, situating himself next to her, poised to take action. Juliet resumed applying her cell solutions to the discs of growth medium, handing each one to Ben when she was finished and telling him what to label them. With his help, the work that might have taken her another hour only took them twenty-fives. They left the lab together at 8:45.

"Oh, fresh air!" Juliet breathed once they were outdoors. "I remember this."

Ben chuckled as they walked together along the lighted path to her house.

"I certainly hope that you sleep in tomorrow. You've earned it," he commented lightly. Juliet smiled, but made no response. In her mind, she'd earn extra rest when she finally figured out how to get a pregnant woman to carry her child to term on this island. They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence.

When they reached her house, Juliet stepped up onto the porch and unlocked her door. She turned back to Ben and was surprised to see that he hadn't followed her, but was waiting down on the ground.

"Would you like to come in for a nightcap?" She asked. "I know I've got a bottle of something somewhere. It's the least I can do in return for the food and all your help tonight."

"Tempting offer," Ben replied. "But I need to get home to Alex. Goodnight, Juliet." He took a step up, clasped her left hand in his right one and brushed his lips across her knuckles. "Sweet dreams." He relinquished her hand with a squeeze and a smile, then turned and began to make his way to his own house.

"Goodnight Ben!" she called after him. "Thank you!"

She went inside, wondering what on earth had possessed him to kiss her hand like that, and even more perplexing, why had her heart had skipped a beat when he'd done it?


	4. Books

Juliet knew she'd truly been accepted on the island when she received her invitation to join the book club. Granted, it was Ben who had officially issued her the invitation, and he was already her friend, but she was looking forward to having a place in their little literary society.

Up until this point, she'd almost been afraid to socialize, afraid of how many among this small community still blamed her for Henrietta's death, and although Ben had repeatedly assured her that no one on the island held such a grudge against her, Juliet couldn't help but think that some of them must. She sincerely hoped this event would be more pleasurable than disastrous.

And it did have plenty of potential to be disastrous.

Unfortunately, the next meeting of the book club was to be hosted by Harper, the island's resident psychiatrist, and Juliet's weekly sessions with the woman were still distinctly unpleasant. In each weekly session, Juliet dutifully answered the questions Harper posed to her, ignored the snide, double entendre-d comments Harper slid into her responses, and got the hell out of the office as soon as her thirty minutes were up. Harper seemed to have it in for her, and Juliet had yet to figure out why. She'd asked Ben about it, but he'd only shaken his head and told her, "Harper is a very complicated woman."

Speaking of Ben, he'd been acting a little strangely as of late. Their conversations had taken on a stiff, forced quality that hadn't been there before, as though he were thinking over every word he said to her before he said it. He was anxious and fidgety. One afternoon, they'd taken a short stroll out to the tree line and back, and in the midst of their conversation, Juliet had casually linked her arm with his, and Ben had practically flinched at her touch. She'd taken her arm back quickly, wondering where fun, dinner-making, hand-kissing Ben had gone.

"You can relax around me, you know," she snapped the next evening as they shared their traditional post-work drink on her front porch. "I wish you'd tell me why you're so tense."

"It's just stress, Juliet," he'd bit back tersely. "I do run this entire island, you know. I'm sorry if I'm being rude."

Then he'd given her one of _those_ smile: the slightly creepy ones that were meant to placate and didn't quite reach his eyes. She hated those smiles.

In fact, she might have given up on Ben all together if it weren't for those moments when he would make her laugh with his razor sharp witticisms, or make her think with his powerful insights. Ben was too interesting and too stimulating for her to ignore, so she held on, ignoring those moments of tension, and cherishing their moments of levity, and when it came to book club, Ben was so enthusiastic at the prospect of her joining that Juliet couldn't help but oblige him. He even loaned her his copy of the current book: Margaret Mitchell's _Gone With the Wind. _

It was an interesting book—she'd only ever seen the movie—but what made it fascinating were the notes Ben had made in the margins. He'd taken great care to underline the choicest, most well-written bits of imagery and plot. In the margins, he cross-referenced the philosophical ponderings of Scarlett O'Hara to those of Nietzsche and Hegel. He'd made notes of certain relevant historical information, dates and names of the battles and generals of the Civil War, and she'd enjoyed reading the novel, if only so that she could enjoy his private insights on it.

She brought the book with her to Harper's house on the day of the meeting. She was coming from the lab and hadn't had a chance to change out of her work clothes. She didn't know if a pencil skirt and heels were acceptable book club attire, but it was either she wear them now, or she'd be rude and arrive late after she changed. Not wanting to give Harper any more of a reason to despise her, Juliet decided to be on time, heels be damned.

She stepped up onto Harper's porch and knocked lightly on the front door. She could hear voices coming from inside and hoped that Ben was already here so she'd have at least one friendly face to talk to, and maybe someone to sit with.

To her surprise, it wasn't Harper who answered the door, but her husband, Goodwin.

"Well hello Juliet!" he greeted her, his ruggedly handsome face breaking into a smile. "What a pleasure to see you here!" He ushered her inside, resting his hand in the small of her back as she passed through the door. She turned back to look at him, surprised by the contact, and noticed him observing her outfit.

"No need to dress up on our account," he teased.

"Yes, well, I came straight from the lab," she smiled at his easy-going nature.

"Well, you look lovely."

She blushed at the compliment as he directed her into the living room. "We're still waiting on a few people. Make yourself at home. Can I get you something to drink?"

"No I'm fine, thank you."

Juliet scanned the room as Goodwin said, "Let me know if you change your mind."

She nodded at him, and he gave her a wink. She shook her head at him in mock disapproval as he left her side to go answer another knock at the door.

She turned around to scan the room again and caught Harper glaring at her from her seat. Her eyes shifted significantly to Goodwin and back, her expression sour.

Juliet gave Harper a wan smile in greeting, and wondered how someone so unpleasant had managed to marry someone as good-natured as Goodwin.

She scanned the living room again for a place to sit. Harper had arranged her couch, a loveseat, a recliner, and what appeared to be every chair from her dining room table in a big circle around her coffee table. Ben was occupying one half of the loveseat, but the cushion next to him was open. She made a beeline for it.

"This seat taken?" she asked. He looked up at her and the corners of his eyes crinkled.

"Not at all. Please…" he gestured for her to sit down.

"Thank you for loaning me this," Juliet smiled and handed him his copy of _Gone With the Wind_ as she took her seat.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Do you know everyone here?"

She didn't, but Ben was quick to remedy that. Going around the circle, he introduced Juliet to each person. He started with the people on the couch. Amelia was an older woman who served as a teacher to the island's younger residents. Amelia reached over and clasped Juliet's hands warmly in welcome. Next to Amelia was Adam, a pompous older man who barely looked up from his book and muttered his _hello _at her_. _Next to Adam was Bea, who gave Juliet a polite smile of welcome, then quickly resumed her quiet conversation with Harper, who was sitting by herself in the recliner.

"Harper and Goodwin, of course, you know already…"

At the mention of Goodwin, Juliet turned in her seat to see where the man had gone.

He was standing at the counter in the kitchen, fixing a tray of drinks and one of snacks. Apparently he'd been paying attention because he caught her eye instantly and gave her a jaunty wave. She smiled and gave him a small wave back.

"And of course, we're still waiting for Tom…"

Juliet smiled at that. Tom was always kind to her. She looked forward to his arrival; it would be good to see him

Suddenly a platter of fruit and cheese appeared between her and Ben. Juliet looked up to see Goodwin standing behind the loveseat, grinning down at her.

"Bite to eat?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows at her enticingly.

"Please," she replied. He produced a small stack of cocktail napkins with a flourish, using his other hand to balance the platter. Juliet selected a cluster of grapes and slid them onto her napkin.

"Thank you."

"You must be famished, coming straight from work and all," Goodwin said sympathetically.

"Yes, well, Juliet often puts her duties before basic needs," Ben interjected tersely.

"Is that so?" Goodwin looked from Ben back to Juliet. "Well, no worries; I've got plenty of cheese and fruit, and a plate of crackers over there too, so eat up. And please," he leaned in as though to whisper a secret in her ear. "Let me know if you ever need me to bring you something from the cafeteria. I pass by the lab every day for lunch."

"Thank you, Goodwin," Ben interjected again, smiling, but not really smiling. "Now if you don't mind, I'd very much like a napkin."

Slightly chagrined, Goodwin offered Ben his pick of the fruit plate and then went on to serve the others. Juliet glanced at Ben out of the corner of her eye as she ate her grapes, wondering why he was so annoyed with their host.

"Oh, these are good, aren't they?" Amelia asked, interrupting her thoughts. She had also taken a cluster of grapes. Juliet nodded and held up what remained of her cluster in conformation. She turned to Ben to see what he'd taken for fruit, but all he had left on his cocktail napkin was a single orange rind.

"Are you okay?" she murmured, lowering her voice so that no one else would hear.

"Of course. I'm fine," Ben muttered back, offering her that half-smile that she hated. She was about to call him on his insincerity when a glass of red wine appeared between them.

"Here you are, Ben."

Goodwin was handing out the drinks. Juliet shot a glance over at Harper and wondered why she wasn't helping her husband with any of this…after all, she was supposed to be the hostess; she had picked the book.

Harper had paused her conversation with Bea, and to Juliet's discomfort, the two of them were watching her carefully.

"Juliet," Goodwin had her attention again. "I know you said you didn't want anything to drink, but you're welcome to rethink that decision."

Juliet smirked. A glass of wine might be really good at this moment.

"I think I will," she nodded. "I'll have whatever Ben's having, if that's okay."

"Coming right up," Goodwin replied cheerfully. He handed out the rest of the drinks, not even looking at Harper as he handed her glass to her, and went to pour Juliet a glass of wine. Juliet looked over at Ben.

"How is it?" she asked, nodding at his glass.

"Nice. You'll like it," he replied evenly.

"You would know," she smiled, trying to get him to lighten up. And it was true. Ben nodded in acknowledgement, looking pleased.

"Is it just me," she whispered, looking over her shoulder to make sure Goodwin wasn't right behind them. "Or does it seem like he and Harper are in a fight?"

"They're always in a fight," Ben whispered back, a hint of conspiracy in his voice.

"That's too bad," she sighed as Goodwin approached with her wine. She knew what it was like to be unhappily married. No wonder Harper was so annoyed all the time. Goodwin presented her wineglass with a flourish, holding her gaze for just a moment longer than was necessary, and Juliet had the sudden realization that his flirting might not be quite so _friendly_ after all; maybe he was doing it on purpose…especially since he was doing it right in front of his wife.

She looked away from him hastily and said "thank you" into her wineglass. Goodwin was a handsome man, but as attractive as she found him, she wasn't interested in being anyone's affair. Her ex-husband had taught her just how painful adultery was, and as much as she disliked Harper, she wouldn't do that to another woman.

The front door opened and closed loudly, and Tom suddenly bounded into the room, calling out, "Sorry! Sorry I'm late everyone!"

"It's about time," Adam grumbled.

"I know, I know. I got too caught up in my work!"

Juliet smiled up at him in understanding, grateful for Tom's positive presence filling the room. He went around, greeting everyone, his eyes finally resting on her.

"Hello, Julie," he grinned, using his nickname for her. "Nice to see you're still alive."

She chuckled at that and accepted Tom's brief kiss on her cheek. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and moved on.

"Ben," he nodded in greeting, shaking Ben's free hand before looking around for a place to sit. The only seats left were on Harper's fancy dinning room chairs. Tom grimaced as he sat down on one and looked back at Juliet.

"I know I'm late, but you're the newbie…how'd you get the comfy seat?" he winked at her.

"Ben saved it for her," Amelia piped up knowingly.

"Oh?" Tom grinned. He and Amelia exchanged a look. "That was awfully nice of him."

Juliet looked over at Ben for confirmation, but he said nothing and sipped at his wine. The tips of his ears were pink.

Suddenly Harper clapped her hands authoritatively and called them together.

"So, what did everyone think of _Gone With the Wind_?"

Adam instantly launched into a bitter diatribe regarding the unlikability of Scarlett O'Hara, which Bea seemed to find offensive. She argued in favor of Scarlett, exclaiming that her actions were admirable and the direct result of the sexism at work in 19th century America. As they got into it, Juliet leaned over and nudged Ben with her elbow.

"Did you really save this seat for me?" she whispered.

"Yes, " he whispered back, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"Oh?" she mimicked Tom. "That was _awfully_ nice of you." She grinned at him and patted his knee affectionately. "Thank you…I was hoping we'd be able to sit together."

"Really?" he asked sharply, studying her face for a sign that she was teasing.

"Yes, of course," she whispered back, affecting his slightly careless tone. His eyes crinkled at that. For the first time since she'd sat down, he reclined against the back of the couch. She did the same, taking her first sip of her wine, and watching the fireworks explode in front of her.

Harper had jumped in between Adam and Bea, and was playing devil's advocate to them both.

"Of course, I can't throw my full support behind a woman who spends most of her time trying to steal other people's husbands," she was saying-and Juliet couldn't help but wonder if that last comment was for her benefit.-"But then again, you have to admire the woman's cunning."

"'A woman's face is her work of fiction,'" Ben quoted sagely from the corner.

"Exactly," Adam threw in smugly. He shot Ben a satisfied look that annoyed Juliet greatly.

"That's certainly true in Scarlett's case," Amelia retorted. "But I don't think that's true of all women, Adam." Her gaze fell to Juliet meaningfully.

"Yeah, Ben," Juliet scowled. "Besides, just what did Oscar Wilde know about women?"

"Touché!" Goodwin piped in, raising his glass in Juliet's direction. Juliet felt Ben tense in annoyance beside her.

"Enough about Scarlett," Tom cut in. "One thing I both loved and hated about this book was how easy it was for me to embrace the racist ideals of the South without even realizing it…"

Juliet listened quietly as the debate went on, sipping slowly on her wine. She was about halfway through it when Goodwin stood up and refilled her glass with the recently opened bottle he'd brought over to the coffee table. He proceeded to refill everyone else's glass as well, and normally Juliet didn't mind having a second glass, but she hadn't exactly eaten much that day, and the prospect of finishing another whole glass was a little daunting.

"You might have to carry me out of here," she muttered to the man beside her. Ben smirked. She took another sip and winced. The bottle had been open for too long, and the resulting oxidation gave the wine a slightly sour and metallic aftertaste.

"Something wrong?" Ben asked as Tom and Adam hotly contested the role of Carpetbaggers in the Reconstruction.

"You don't taste that?" she whispered. "It's been breathing for a bit too long."

Ben took a sip from his glass and nodded in agreement.

"What a shame," he sighed.

"This is why I always make you bring the wine," she grumbled, taking another sip before setting her glass on the coffee table. "Like that cabernet we had after work last Thursday…now that was a wine that could breathe…"

"But I was rooting _for_ the Klan!" Harper was yelling. "I _wanted_ them to "clean out" those woods!"

"That's the most Machiavellian thing I've ever heard!" Adam shouted back. "It's beyond, Machiavelli! It's…Hegelian!" He said this with a hopeful eye on Ben. Juliet snorted. Name-dropping a philosopher that Ben liked: it was such a sycophantic gesture, such a sad attempt to suck up. She had to jump in.

"How is that exactly, Adam? The entire concept of The Klan completely defies the logic of Hegel's Master/Slave Dialectic! How can that scene possibly be Hegelian when the "slaves" are still being terrorized by their former masters? At what point there do the slaves _become_ the master?"

Adam was speechless for a moment. Ben raised his wineglass in admiration.

"Well put, Juliet." He took a sip.

Adam glared at her furiously.

"You know," Amelia began, breaking the silence. "We haven't even had a chance to talk about Rhett Butler. You hated Scarlett so much, Adam; what about her male counterpart?"

And they were off again. Ben nudged Juliet with his elbow.

"I see you read my annotations," he smirked.

"Yes, they were the best part," she assured him sincerely. Ben's eyebrows jumped in surprise.

"Thank you," he said, looking truly flattered.

"Thank _you_ for loaning me your copy."

"The thing I love about Rhett," Harper sighed longingly, which caught Juliet's attention immediately because Harper didn't seem like someone who was _capable_ of sighing longingly. "is how much he cares. I love how well he understands her, even when she doesn't understand herself."

Goodwin rolled his eyes and snorted at his wife derisively.

"If he understands her so _well_, how come he leaves her just when she realizes that she really does love him back?" he asked snidely.

"Maybe it's because, in that moment, she's too good to be true," Harper retorted. "He's waited for her to come around for so long, and in the meantime, they've hurt each other so badly, he can't really accept that she actually does love him!"

Juliet and Ben shared an uneasy glance. The undercurrents of this conversation were growing uncomfortable.

"Or maybe," Goodwin muttered. "He's really just sick of her crap."

Even Tom winced at that one, and the meeting went downhill from there. Harper grew sullen and silent. Goodwin pretended nothing was amiss and busied himself playing host and refilling the drinks and snack trays. Bea and Adam picked up where Harper and Goodwin's disagreement had left off, and neither of them were particularly pleasant to each other in the course of their debate. Amelia and Tom attempted to soften the discussion by trying to throw some positive commentary into the mix, but they were largely unsuccessful at shifting the mood.

Juliet turned to Ben and muttered under her breath.

"Was this was what you had in mind when you invited me to join the Book Club?"

"Not exactly," he replied, his lips thinned in displeasure.

"Any chance we can make a discreet getaway?"

He nodded affirmatively, his eyes on the scene before them. Bea was delivering a particularly cutting remark to Adam, all pretense of discussing the novel aside. Adam was about to say something cruel in response; Juliet could see it in his expression, When Ben suddenly stood up.

"That's enough," he said curtly, with a calm that was almost menacing. Everyone froze. Juliet was suddenly reminded that Ben was the leader here; everyone in this room answered to him…including her.

There was a moment of silence as Ben allowed everyone in the room to feel the weight of his displeasure. Juliet glanced around discreetly at the expressions on people's faces. She caught flashes of guilt and remorse, and a hint of shock for good measure. No one looked at each other. Adam especially had the good sense to look ashamed of himself; Tom simply stared at the floor.

Ben looked down at her and held out his hand. She took it without hesitation and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Still holding her hand, Ben turned to face Harper and Goodwin.

"Thank you both for hosting this event. Unfortunately, Juliet and I have to leave now," his tone was perfectly normal and polite…as though the events of the last minute hadn't happened at all. "Harper, I enjoyed your book selection—it's one of my favorites."

"Um, thank you Ben," Harper replied, rising to her feet as though she were coming out of a coma. "Thank you both for coming." Ben gave her a pleasant nod.

"Have a good afternoon everyone," he said, addressing the rest of the room. The others murmured similar sentiments back to him, but Ben was already moving towards the front door with Juliet in tow. She turned back and gave a small wave, mouthing "goodbye." Tom and Amelia each gave her a small wave in return.

Ben opened the front door and let go of her hand to wave her through first. She stepped out onto the porch, and he followed, closing the door behind them.

There was a moment of silence as Ben stared out over the village and Juliet stared at Ben, trying to read his inscrutable expression.

"So," she said after a moment. "About that _discreet_ getaway…"

"I'm sorry about that, Juliet," Ben sighed. "but I have little patience for such childish behavior."

He started down the porch steps and she followed a step behind him. Harper's driveway was covered with some kind of white gravel. Juliet had teetered over it easily enough on her heels when she'd come in, but walking out and trying to keep up with Ben at the same time was a bit more challenging. Without a word, Ben backed up a step and offered her his arm, which she grabbed gratefully.

"I know you're used to a corporate dress code in your workplace," he teased as he led her down the driveway. "But you might consider an alternative style of footwear out here."

"Noted," Juliet replied tersely.

They made it to the pavement without incident.

"Thanks," she said, releasing her death grip on Ben's arm and linking elbows with him instead. He didn't protest the contact, and they strolled along together, each one pondering their own thoughts.

"I really wish this hadn't been your introduction to the book group," Ben said after a moment of quiet. "They usually make a better first impression."

"That's okay," Juliet sighed. "I had fun until Harper and Goodwin started to fight."

"Do you think you'll come back?"

"Sure. Tom and Amelia were nice. Bea seems like she'd be fun to debate with…" She trailed off for a moment before adding slyly, "Adam is a bit of a suck-up, though."

Ben chuckled and nodded.

"It's true," he sighed ruefully. He reached down and caught her hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Come on," he said, his face breaking into a real smile. 'I'll walk you home."

If you're enjoying this story, please don't hesitate to leave me a review! -Coffee


	5. Revelations

This chapter is for Leah, who gave me my first review for this story! Thank you!

…

It was exactly the first day of her third month on the island when Juliet made her first major breakthrough.

She knew that the radiation levels on the island were abnormal, and up until this point, she'd assumed that the radiation was the primary cause of the death of the pregnant women on the island, much in the way that overexposure to radiation gave people cancer and made them sick. She'd assumed that the added stress of a pregnancy on the body's immune system was what tipped the balance unfavorably for these poor women...but she'd been wrong.

In the last month, Juliet had been using some of her own genetic material to serve as a kind of control group to measure against the samples she'd taken from the women on the island. She'd postulated that, when grown in the lab, her cells would replicate at healthier rates, due to the fact that she hadn't been on the island for very long. Yet to her surprise, the other cell samples were out-performing hers in terms of growth.

She'd dismissed her first batch of test results, thinking that she may have screwed up some where along the way, took new samples, and repeated the experiment again. The results were the same. Juliet was perplexed, but she'd continued with the experiment, drawing it out until she had trackable data spanning a month's worth of time. According to the results, the women on the island were in better, healthier shape than she was. _What the hell?_

Then it had occurred to her: _Hormesis_.

Exposure to the island had stimulated every natural defense in this community, which explained why its inhabitants rarely got sick. For a woman to carry a child to term meant that, for nine month, she was required to carry and nourish a cell mass that was only genetically half hers. The deaths of pregnant women on this island were not the result of radiation poisoning, but instead the result of an autoimmune disorder.

Juliet braced her hands on her desk, her mind racing off into a million different directions. Autoimmune diseases were treatable, and even then, the treatment would only have to be administered during the woman's gestation period…

She spent the rest of the morning tearing through her notes and cross-checking her data. She was going to need to talk to Ethan about immunosuppressant therapy, and she would need to have test animals for clinical trials. Her desk was covered in papers, and she'd laid several of her journals open on the floor surrounding her. Her heart was racing. She couldn't wait to speak to Ben…

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she called, wondering if Ben had somehow managed to telepathically infer that she wanted to see him.

But the person that came through the door wasn't Ben…it was Alex.

"Um…hi," she said hesitantly, surveying the chaos surrounding her. "Is this a bad time?"

"No! Not at all," Juliet smiled. "This is a great time. Please come in!" She motioned Alex forward cajolingly.

"You look busy."

"I am, but not too busy for you."

Juliet stood up and extracted herself from her circle of madness. She pulled up a stool for Alex and one for herself. Alex sat down carefully. It was clear she had something on her mind. Juliet sat down too, smiling at her invitingly.

"What can I do for you Alex?"

The young woman was nervous. Juliet watched her take a deep breath and marshal her forces before she looked up at Juliet.

"I have to ask you something," she said shyly.

"Okay," Juliet smiled and waited.

"Do you like my dad?"

"Well, yes, we're friends," Juliet replied, taken aback. What was this about? "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that…he talks about you a lot. I think he really likes you…like, really likes you."

"Do you mean…romantically?" Juliet asked, perplexed.

"Yes," Alex nodded.

"Okay…" Juliet wasn't sure how to respond to this information. "What made you want to come share this with me?" she asked. Alex blushed and looked down.

"It's just that…he isn't always happy, my dad, and when he talks about you, he gets happy…and trust me, I've never seen him act that way about anyone before. It's a first," she smiled.

"Well, I, um…" Juliet wasn't sure what to say, or more pressingly, what Alex wanted her to say.

"Look," the thirteen-year-old's tone suddenly grew mature for her years. "I'm not saying you guys have to get married or anything, but if you like him too, you should maybe…date, or something. And if you don't like him that way, then just…be nice to him?"

Her gaze faltered for a second, and she looked down at the floor.

"Don't get me wrong," she added. "He's not my favorite person right now. He's been a total jerk about me and Karl, but…" she trailed off and looked up at Juliet. "He's my dad, you know?"

Juliet nodded. "I know."

"And he really cares about you."

Juliet nodded again. "Okay."

"And, he doesn't really date, but he could be a really good boyfriend."

Juliet chuckled and nodded again. "Fair enough."

"And I just thought…you should know," Alex trailed off quietly.

"I appreciate that," Juliet replied, wondering just how she was going to deal with this information. She was suddenly very grateful to Alex. By coming to her, Alex had given her the heads up she needed before she accidentally did something stupid and hurt Ben's feelings, and Ben was definitely some that she didn't want to hurt.

They were both quiet for a moment before Alex stood up and started to move her chair back to its original location. Juliet did the same.

"Um," Alex began when they were done. "Please don't tell him that I was here and I told you this. I think he'd be a little mad."

Juliet nodded and held out an arm to the young woman. Alex stepped closer and Juliet pulled her into an affectionate embrace.

"Thank you for coming to me with this," she said to the top of Alex's head. "Your dad is a lucky man to have a daughter who cares about him the way you do."

"Thanks," Alex's reply was muffled by Juliet's collarbone. She squeezed Juliet tightly before stepping back.

"I think Karl's pretty lucky too," Juliet added with a wink. Alex blushed and mumbled "Thanks" again.

Juliet walked Alex the few steps to the door.

"I'm sure I'll see you later," she smiled warmly.

"Yeah," Alex nodded smiling back. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Juliet replied. "And thank you."

Alex nodded once and went through the door, closing it lightly behind her.

Juliet took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _What a day!_

She looked over at her desk and could see why Alex had been so hesitant to disturb her. _What a mess. _She walked over and began to reorganize the chaos, letting her hands do the work while her mind attempted to reconcile her life.

_I'll have to find Ethan in a bit and ask him about getting those testing supplies. I should start the trials as soon as possible, and I need to update Ben on my progress…but Ben has a crush on me…Wow, what am I going to do about that?_

She put her lab journals back into chronological order while simultaneously reflecting on her past interactions with Benjamin Linus. Sure, they had a great rapport, and he always seemed happy to spend time with her…and he was certainly physically attractive, and most of the time she found him endearing…

But then again, he'd never really made a move to let her know how he felt. Every touch, every compliment had been friendly…except the night he'd kissed her hand. She thought about that moment, replaying it over and over in her mind. He brought her dinner, helped her with her work, then kissed her hand, and when he did it, her heart had definitely jumped…there was definitely something like attraction between the two of them.

Juliet re-organized the few research articles she had on autoimmune diseases into a binder and began to imagine what it might be like to have a relationship with Ben. He was usually so reserved, almost shy with her. What would it be like to really flirt with him? What would it be like to hold his hand as his girlfriend and let him _kiss _her?

Juliet accidentally dropped the binder on the floor at that thought. It was almost uncomfortable to contemplate…not repulsive uncomfortable, but just a little tantalizingly weird.

She shook her head to clear her mind. All of this was irrelevant until her work was done.

She picked up the last four papers and put the remains into some semblance of order. Right now, she had to work, she told herself. She had to go find Ethan or Richard and start making arrangements to test her new hypothesis. She'd think about whatever was going to happen between her and Ben later.

Her stomach grumbled. It was lunchtime. She knew Ethan always had his lunch in the cafeteria. When he wasn't being their doctor, he was always working odd jobs around the island. If she didn't catch him at lunch, she probably wouldn't be able to catch up with him for weeks. She looked up at the clock. The cafeteria served lunch to all the island workers from twelve to one, and it was twelve-forty now. If she was quick, she could make it, and also get food.

She reached the cafeteria at twelve forty-five, just in time to snag a sandwich and a bag of chips. She looked around the gradually emptying room, but Ethan didn't appear to be there. She walked into the tables, her eyes darting from face to face, but she was right; he wasn't there. _Damn._

"Juliet?" and distinctive voice called out. Juliet turned, surprised to see Ben sitting at a table by himself. He was reading _Les Miserables_ by Victor Hugo, and she'd somehow managed to walk right by him without seeing him. "Are you looking for me?" His expression was hopeful.

"Um…no," she said a little too bluntly. His face fell slightly. "I mean, not that it's not good to see you, Ben," she stammered, trying to recover. "I was just looking, and…I mean, it's good to see you…but I was just…"

_Oh my God, is this how it's going to be from now on?_ She thought, feeling ridiculous. _You're just going to babble at him like an idiot? Get a __**grip**__, Juliet!_

She stopped trying to talk and just walked over and sat down next to him instead.

"I was looking for Ethan," she said, turning to face him. "Because I think I'm onto something in the lab, and I need him for a consult and to help me set up some experiments."

_Good girl._

"Juliet, that's wonderful!" Ben's face broke into a smile, her favorite smile: the one that made his eyes crinkle. She loved that smile because it was so rare, and to elicit one took something really special. How many more times had she been the recipient of this smile than the others?

"Well?" he prodded her, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Well…?" she repeated uncertainly.

"Are you going to give me the details, or do I have to beg?" Ben chuckled and made a gesture of exasperation with his hands.

"Oh! Right…"

She started to fill him in on her journey of discovery, telling him about how she'd thrown out her original results and started the new batch of cultures…

"Was that the night I brought you dinner?" he interjected.

"Yes! Exactly. I started the new batch that night. That's why I was there so late," she nodded.

"And that was the batch that led you to your brilliant discovery?"

"Yes, well, I'm not sure if I'm actually right yet, but we'll see," she shrugged.

"I helped label those cultures, you know," his tone was serious, but his face was mocking her.

"Yes, I remember," she chuckled. She filled him in on the rest of the story and her new theory about the over-active immune systems of the women on the island. When she was done, he leaned back in his chair and studied her intently.

"That's brilliant," he told her, his expression akin to awe. "You're brilliant."

"Stop," she grinned, then looked down at the table to hide her blush.

"Juliet, I'm serious!" he cried, reaching forward to take her hand and squeeze it in triumph. "You should celebrate."

"I _am_ celebrating." She gently disengaged her hand from his because something about the contact was making it hard for her to breathe. She picked up her sandwich instead. "See? I'm eating _lunch_ today." She took a bite and grinned victoriously before chewing and swallowing.

Ben shook his head at her in mild disapproval, but stayed quiet while she ate. Juliet could feel his gaze on her when she wasn't looking. She pretended like she didn't notice, and went on eating. The silence weighed on her, but she wasn't sure what to say, so instead, she ate, and waited for a cue from Ben.

"Ethan is out at The Staff today…he won't be back until much later this evening, but I can be sure he comes to see you in the lab first thing tomorrow morning," Ben said eventually.

"That would be perfect," she said, finishing up her food. "Thank you, Ben."

More silence.

Juliet looked around to see where she could put her tray, but Ben suddenly rose and took her tray to the waste receptacle to clear it, then added it to the stack on the sideboard.

"Come on," he called, looking back at her, _Les_ _Miserables_ under his arm. "I'll walk you back to the lab."

He stood, smiling and expectant, waiting for her by the door. She rose and joined him. He opened the door for her, and they walked out into the sunshine together.

Somehow walking side-by-side was even more awkward for Juliet than sitting next to one another. It was a beautiful day, and she couldn't appreciate it because she was wondering what Ben was thinking, and what he was feeling, and if he was ever going to tell her what he was thinking and feeling.

His hand brushed hers as they walked, and she practically jumped, wondering if it was an accident, or if he'd done it on purpose. Then she realized he'd done the exact same thing to her weeks before, only she'd been the one making contact with him, and he'd been the one jumping. How long had they been dancing this dance? And for how long had she been an oblivious partner?

She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, but Ben didn't seem to notice anything…but then, of course, Ben had the best poker face of anyone she'd ever known. She glanced down at his offending hand. Ben had very nice hands. His nails were clipped and clean with fingers that were nicely shaped. They were strong hands, capable hands, and they were slightly calloused on the palms. Juliet had a sudden urge to slide her hand into Ben's, but then, that would be crossing the "friend" line: very few "friends" held hands as they walked together, but she was tempted to do it anyway, just to see how he'd respond.

_But this is Ben! _Her brain protested. Should she be thinking about things like this with _Ben?_

_Well_, _maybe_, she thought, because according to Alex at least, he was thinking those sorts of things about _her. _

"You're awfully quiet," he commented lightly. "Is everything alright?"

"Um, yes," she lied unconvincingly. "I'm just thinking of all the work I need to do, and the materials I need to ask Ethan about, and…everything else."

Silence.

"You know, you don't have to do this alone Juliet. I'm here to help you, if you need me."

_If you need me…_

They had arrived at the infirmary already. She looked up at the door leading to her lab with sudden apprehension, realizing that he was right. She dreaded spending the whole afternoon in there, by herself, with all the pressure, and nothing to do but work on this new idea and pray that it would succeed. She had a thought and looked over at Ben.

"I need you," she said simply. His face brightened. "It's too much to be in there, alone with my thoughts-especially at this stage in the game. I need someone to bounce ideas off of for an hour or two. Can you come around noon tomorrow? After I've had a chance to consult with Ethan?"

Ben nodded, his face difficult to read, but he seemed pleased.

"It's a date," he said, his eyes never leaving her face.

"It's a date," she echoed, returning his gaze.

Then she turned and went inside.

…

This is a new fandom for me, and I hate to be a review whore, but boy, would I like some reviews on this! Thank you.


	6. Sandwich

I know the timeline for this scene is slightly off, but I couldn't resist.

…

Juliet dressed carefully the next morning for work, very conscious of the fact that Ben would be in later to see her. She slid into a ruched blouse, which was patterned in a shade of green that matched her eyes exactly. She paired it with a pair of white tissue linen pants that flowed when she moved. The blouse, she noticed, was cut just low enough to be attractive, but not so low as to make it look like she was trying. She felt soft and feminine. She wore her hair mostly down in the wild ringlets she knew Ben liked—she'd felt his eyes move over her hair more than once—and was sure to dust a trace of makeup on her face.

She felt good. She felt ready to face the day, which was good, because not only did she have to talk to Ethan and see Ben…today was the day of her weekly session with Harper. Ugh.

She added a spritz of perfume to the pulse point on her wrist—it was crisp and floral—and made her way to the lab.

Ethan was there, waiting for her. Juliet took him through the proposals she'd written up the day before, and he was enthusiastic. Of course, Ethan was always positive, but he seemed especially intrigued by her hypothesis, making Juliet feel like she was really on to something. Ethan was a phenomenal doctor, and if he was excited, then she could be too.

Ethan left with her lists, promising to make the arrangements and get the materials to her as soon as possible. That left her with little to do for the next few hours besides put together a sampling of slides for Ben to view when he arrived.

_Ben_…

She tried not to think about it too hard, because her mind was already going in a million directions, wondering where this situation would lead. One of them was going to have to make a move or say something eventually...would it be her or Ben? When would it happen? How? She didn't know, and she was going to go insane trying to think about it.

The morning sun was beating in through the windows, and Juliet felt a little warm in her crisp white lab coat, but she kept it on and persevered…she'd told Ben she needed someone to bounce ideas off of, so she'd better have a couple to discuss with him when he got there. She grabbed a pen, and a clean piece of paper and began to make a list. The more she listed, the more she thought of…there were so many unanswered questions!

She was rereading some material Ethan had left her on autoimmune diseases when the door finally opened. She took a deep breath and turned to see whom it was.

Ben. Of course. At noon on the dot. She took a deep breath.

He was dressed in his usual-khakis and a button-down shirt-but Juliet had to admire the fact that there wasn't a wrinkle on him. Ben could hike through the jungle for hours and still look put together, while Juliet would only look bedraggled. He'd shaved recently, and Juliet caught a hint of aftershave as he put down his messenger bag, pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.

"Hello," he smiled.

"Hi," she smiled back. "Thank you for coming."

"It's my pleasure. Have you had lunch?"

"Um…no" she replied, confused by the non-sequitur.

"Figures," he snorted, reaching into his bag and materializing a neatly wrapped sandwich and a few napkins. "I was just in the cafeteria. It's only peanut butter and jelly, but I asked the chef to use the crunchy peanut butter." He handed it to her. She took it. Their fingers touched briefly, and Juliet's heart jumped.

"I'm getting the impression that you think I can't feed myself, Ben," she sighed.

"Nonsense," he chortled. "I only think that you can't feed yourself _properly._"

She smirked and he looked pleased.

"Besides," he added wickedly. "If you die of starvation, I have no idea what I'd do with all of this." He gestured widely to the lab around them. Then he paused as though in thought. "But I'd keep your CD collection."

She laughed, then scowled at him in mock outrage and unwrapped her sandwich.

"I guess I'd better not starve then…I really like my CDs."

She gave him a copy of her research proposal to read while she ate, which he did, quietly and intently, nodding to himself as he turned the pages.

"What did Ethan think when he saw this?" Ben asked when he got to the last page.

"He seemed enthusiastic." She gathered her sandwich wrappings in a neat pile.

"He's not the only one." Ben said meaningfully as he set her proposal down on the counter.

"Thanks," Juliet tried not to blush. "And thank you for lunch," she added as she threw the remains in the trash. "You're very thoughtful, Ben…I appreciate it." She glanced up as him to see how he took the compliment, and was rewarded by the sight of the crinkles at the corners of his eyes and the slight pink tinge at the tips of his ears. God, he was adorable.

"You're welcome," he said, his eyes moving over her face intently.

Silence.

"Uh," she cleared her throat. "I have some slides I want to show you."

"Oh, please," he shifted back slightly, moving just far enough away that she could access the microscope, but not so far away that Juliet wasn't acutely aware of his proximity. Se could feel his eyes on her as her suddenly clumsy fingers fixed one of the slides she'd prepared to the stage of the microscope. She looked into the eyepieces and adjusted the focus, making sure the lighting and the clarity of the image were sufficient.

Speaking of focus, Ben's eyes were still on her.

She sat back down and looked over at him. His expression was both admiring and adoring. She wondered if he knew that she could see it. She leaned an elbow on the counter and rested her chin lightly on the knuckles of her hand and gazed back at him. Softly, she began to review with him what she'd seen in her samples: lowered white blood cell counts, immune system attacking the fetus, and reminded him that she was still uncertain of the cause. Ben didn't blink as he took it all in. His gaze traveled down her face and landed on her mouth as she spoke.

"May I?" he finally asked, indicating the microscope.

"Sure."

Juliet stood and moved out of the way so that Ben could get in front of the equipment. He rose and lightly placed his hands on either side of the microscope, inadvertently covering the pinky and ring finger of her left hand with the pinky and ring finger of his right hand.

Juliet stiffened, uncertain of how to respond. She was acutely, painfully aware of the touch of his hand, waiting for him to realize his mistake, waiting for him to flinch and pull his hand away, apologizing, pretending the touch didn't thrill him as much as it did her…but he didn't do it.

Without looking up from the microscope, Ben slowly, deliberately, slid his hand the rest of the way over the top of hers. Her heart began to race, and just when she couldn't stand the tension another minute, Ben upped the stakes, gently sliding the pad of his thumb down the length of her pinky finger and back.

"_Ben_," she hissed.

His head snapped up, lightning quick, his gaze locking with hers, burning with new knowledge, yet tinged with a hint of desperation.

_Oh please,_ his eyes seemed to beg. _Please, please, please…_

The door opened.

"Hey Juliet!" called a cheerful voice.

Juliet jumped away from Ben as though she'd been burned. Goodwin bounded into the lab, but stopped short when he saw that Ben was there. Ben turned to look, and Juliet could see every line of his frame stiffen.

"Oh Ben…I didn't know you were here," Goodwin covered smoothly. It was clear that he was disappointed not to find Juliet alone. "Ethan's out sick,"—_That's a lie_ Juliet thought—"and I have an extra egg salad on rye…I was just checking to see if Juliet wants it." Goodwin looked at her hopefully, but she frowned and shook her head. It was a flimsy pretext to stop by and see her, and she was infinitely glad that Ben was here to drive Goodwin and his flirting away.

"No, I already ate," she said coolly. "Besides, I have an appointment with your wife in ten minutes."

It was actually in thirty minutes, but she wanted him to leave. Now.

"Oh, great," Goodwin sobered slightly. "Tell her I said hello."

Juliet smirked. _I bet she'd love that_.

"Oh, will do," she said placidly, noting that Ben had not moved a muscle during the entire exchange.

"Ben?" Goodwin called out. Ben looked up sharply as Goodwin held up the sandwich bag in offering.

"No, I'm fine," he replied politely, if tightly. Goodwin nodded, grinning wanly, and finally took the hint. He left without another word.

Ben stared after him, his posture still tense and threatening. Then, without a glance at her, he turned and stared coldly back into the microscope.

Silence. Again. _Dammit._

Juliet was at a loss. Everything had been going so well, and now it was all wrong. She hated Goodwin in that moment. Hated him.

"I think he likes you," Ben commented flatly, without looking up.

"Great," Juliet snapped sarcastically, sitting back down next to him gracelessly. "That's just what I need…another relationship with another cheating spouse."

"You never know…you two might hit it off." There was an edge to Ben's voice that was downright nasty.

"Maybe we would," Juliet shot back viciously. "I mean, it's all fun and games, right? Until one of you gets hit by a bus."

"Why was he here, Juliet?" Ben looked up at her, his expression blank and hard.

"How the hell should I know, Ben?" she cried, frustrated. "It's not like I asked him to show up!"

"He brought you a sandwich."

"So what!" she fumed. Standing, she crossed behind Ben to gather up her proposal and an armful of her labs she'd pulled out for him to peruse. Walking behind him again, she transferred them to the other side of her workspace, dropped them loudly onto the countertop, and began to rearrange them onto the shelves. "And besides," she added cuttingly. "It was egg salad. Who brings a girl an egg salad sandwich in ninety degree weather?"

"Oh," Ben replied acidly. "You wanted something different?"

"Yes," she snarled, shooting him a furious glance. "And it had crunchy peanut butter on it."

Ben seemed shocked into silence. _Ha, take that!_ She thought meanly as she shoved her reports into their proper locations. When she was done with the first batch, she moved to get the rest. Ben reached out and caught her by the wrist. She paused for a moment, looking at the floor.

"I…I don't like the way he looks at you," Ben said quietly, as though the admission cost him a great deal of pride. Juliet sighed and sat back down next to him.

"Well, in case you haven't realized," she replied softly. "That makes two of us."

"Ah."

Ben let go of her wrist and placed his hands on his knees, seeming at a loss. Juliet was unnerved by his jealous behavior, and didn't know what to say either. She'd never seen Ben so…unhinged.

She looked up at the clock. _Hell_. Harper was expecting her in fifteen minutes. She stood up and gathered the rest of her papers.

"I have to go, Ben," she said sourly, not looking at him as she put her work away. "Harper's waiting."

Ben stood hurriedly.

"I'll walk with you."

Juliet made no reply, but said nothing as Ben held the door open for her on the way out.

They walked in silence. Again, that heavy silence. Juliet snuck a glance at Ben's face, but his expression was carefully neutral. She looked down at the path in front of her, allowing her mind to drift back to the moments before Goodwin had entered the scene. What had Ben been thinking when he deliberately allowed his hand to drift over hers? She recalled the sensation of his fingers brushing hers, and shivered pleasurably. She looked over at him again, frustrated. Would such a moment ever happen between the two of them again?

His hands were in his pockets as he walked. He must have known she was looking at him, but he did not return her gaze. Juliet looked back at the path, trying not to roll her eyes. Maybe he was angry with her, maybe he was embarrassed by his overreaction, but whatever the cause, they clearly weren't going to talk about it now and clear the air between them, so she had no choice but to let it go. She crossed her arms across her chest and walked slightly ahead of him the last few steps to Harper's office.

"Thanks Ben," she said tightly. "I'll see you later."

She turned and walked up the steps, not waiting for his reply. Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard Ben call out behind her.

"Juliet, wait…"

She turned back to look at him. His face was agitated, but determined. He looked at her intently.

"Have dinner with me tonight," he practically blurted.

Juliet's eyebrows raised in surprise, then quirked with suspicion.

"Is that a request, or a command?" she queried tartly.

"Please," he added as an afterthought. That look was back in his eyes, the same look she'd seen on him just before Goodwin came through the door…_Oh_ _please, please, please._

"Fine," she replied coolly, though her heart was beating fantastically hard inside her chest. "What time?"

"6:30." Ben was looking at her slightly in disbelief.

"At your place?" she asked. He nodded. "What should I bring?"

"Just yourself."

She nodded in assent.

"I'll see you at 6:30."

"Excellent," his whole face lit up. "It's a date."

"It's a date?" Juliet looked at him significantly, wanting to be on the same page with him at last. He looked at her, taken aback. _Come on, Ben,_ she thought._ Just say 'yes.' _

Ben squared his shoulders.

"It's a date," he confirmed, returning her significant look, waiting.

Juliet resisted the urge to squeal like a teenager. Instead she smiled at Ben warmly, excitedly.

"It's a date," she nodded.

Then, with a sense of déjà vu, she turned and went inside.


	7. First Date--Part 1

I figured that infamous "dinner party" scene might be a reasonable approximation to what Ben and Juliet's first date would be like. Here you go, StalkingRory. :)

…

She had nothing to wear.

If it weren't so pathetically clichéd, she would have laughed, but as it stood, Ben was expecting her in twenty minutes, and she was still in her bathrobe, half of her wardrobe strewn across her bed.

Knowing she was down to the wire, she grabbed the pair of chocolate brown khakis and a warm, plum-colored top, both of which she'd considered and rejected three times already. She yanked them on and began the final touches. She'd blown her hair out straight, making it soft and silky with just a hit of the curl it normally carried. She clipped back a few strands on the top and let the rest hang loose. She'd done most of her make-up already, but needed lipstick. Scurrying to the bathroom, she managed to locate said lipstick and apply it without smearing.

She glanced at the clock again: 6:25. If she didn't run, she was going to be late.

She grabbed the bottle of wine she'd planned to take to Ben's and bolted for the door. Fortunately, his house was a quick walk from hers, and she had a moment to collect herself on his porch before knocking.

The door was open before she could land a third knock.

"Hi, come on in!" Ben greeted her enthusiastically, turning and practically running back into the kitchen. "I'm sorry!" He called to her. "I have to get this ham out of the oven, or it will dry out!"

"Please," she said, coming in carefully and closing the door behind her. "Don't mind me."

She took a moment to look around. The table was carefully laid with two settings, but the most noticeable features of the room were the candles: candles on the table, candles lining certain parts of the room, and Wagner playing softly in the background. Ben was obviously trying very hard to make this a romantic dinner. Juliet smiled to herself as she watched him go to the oven and pull out a truly spectacular ham, still sizzling in it's roasting pan.

"That smells wonderful," she told him as he set it on the sideboard. "You do realize there are only two of us."

"I can do wonderful things with leftovers," he smiled. "Don't you worry."

"Ooh," she sighed. "Do I foresee ham sandwiches in my future?"

"Perhaps."

He looked up at her, his expression full of promise and mirth. She grinned back at him, liking that she didn't have to look away if she didn't want to... this was a _date_ after all. She studied his face openly, taking in the finer nuances of his expression. His hair was sticking up in funny directions, like he'd run his hands through it before she'd arrived. She smiled at that, marveling at how Ben could simultaneously be both a little boy and a man. His shirt was forest green, and Juliet realized there was something about seeing Ben with his sleeves rolled up and his collar unbuttoned that attracted her. For the first time, she was seeing _casual_ Ben.

Ben was blushing under her gaze, but Juliet realized he was looking back at her in the same frank manner. She felt her face grow warm, suddenly feeling self-conscious, wondering what he saw in her.

"I hope you like Merlot," she said, realizing she was still holding the bottle. Ben smiled and approached her eagerly.

"I do indeed," he said, taking the bottle from her and looking over the label. His eyes flicked up to meet hers for just a moment longer than was necessary before he turned back to the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind if I don't open it right away," he set the bottle on the sideboard and gestured to the dinning table. "I've opened some already. Mind pouring us both a glass?"

"Sure," she said, glad for something to do. She poured them each a generous glass of wine from the lovely carafe on the table, taking a moment to admire Ben's attention to detail. The table was beautifully set, the linen napkins matching the tablecloth, and the glassware gleaming in the candlelight.

"You set a beautiful table," she complimented him, bringing his glass of wine into the kitchen, where he was lifting the ham from the roasting tray and setting it on a platter of roasted asparagus and potatoes. "It's almost a shame to eat on it."

Ben scoffed and turned to take his wineglass from her hand.

"You flatter me," he said, grinning. He held up his glass. "A toast, Juliet…to a lovely evening."

She smiled and clinked her glass against his lightly in agreement. They each sipped, both watching the other as they did so.

"Did I tell you that you look stunning tonight?" Ben asked her casually as he turned and set his wineglass down on the counter. "Because you do."

"Thank you," she breathed, then took another sip of her wine when Ben wasn't looking, attempting to calm her nerves. She watched him pick up the platter of food and turn back to her.

"Hungry?"

"Yes. Maybe even starved," she chuckled.

"Come on then," He nodded to the table and proceeded to carry the food over. She grabbed his wineglass and followed. "Thank you," he said, taking the glass from her once he'd set down the food. She nodded and went to take a seat, but Ben moved with her and quickly pulled out her chair for her.

"Such a gentleman," she smiled up at him. He stared down at her for a moment, unsure of what to say, before moving back to the ham.

"I try to be, " he said, almost to himself as he picked up a pair of carving utensils. He began slicing into the ham, delicately loading thin layers onto the carving fork, juices and steam liberating themselves from his incisions.

"That is the most delicious thing I have ever seen," Juliet said, taking another sip of wine.

"Thank you. Hand me your plate," Ben chuckled. She complied eagerly, watching as Ben carefully arranged ham, potatoes and asparagus onto it. When he handed it back to her, she made sure her fingers brushed against his on the plate's underside on purpose. Ben raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Juliet handed Ben his plate next, and Ben was sure to slide his own fingers against hers as he took the proffered item. He looked up and gave her a knowing smile. She grinned down at her plate.

_This is fun_, she thought, taking another sip of wine, enjoying the warmth it gave her, appreciating the ambiance around her and anticipating the good meal ahead. _This is really fun. _

She grinned up at Ben as he sat down, a corner of the table between them making it seem as though he were sitting next to her and across from her at the same time. Ben picked up his wineglass and saluted her with it.

"Bon appetite!"

They both sipped.

"Oh my," Juliet sighed, looking down at her plate wondrously. "I'm almost afraid to start!"

"Why?" Ben asked, already working on his first mouthful.

"I might not be able to stop," she laughed.

"There's dessert too," Ben laughed. "Pace yourself."

Juliet speared a piece of ham, popped it into her mouth, and sighed blissfully.

"Too late. I'm gone. You may be required to roll me back to my cabin." She dug into her potatoes.

"Gladly, I'll take it as a compliment," Ben replied dryly.

They ate in silence for a few moments, music playing in the background. Ever attentive, Ben refilled her wineglass when she wasn't looking. She smiled her thanks at him.

"So," she said eventually. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"Oh, I picked it up along the way. I couldn't have Alex eating nothing but cereal and canned goods," he shuddered delicately at the thought, and Juliet smirked.

"I'll bet she appreciates it."

"She used to…it was always an adventure when she was growing up, making things for her, getting her to try new foods, cooking her favorites on special occasions..."

"You're a good dad," Juliet smiled. "Once my parents divorced, all of our meals started coming out of boxes and packets." She frowned at her asparagus for a moment, reliving the unpleasant memory. She was surprised when Ben suddenly covered one of her hands with his.

"My kitchen is always open," he squeezed her hand lightly. "I'd be happy to cook for you whenever you like."

"You'll spoil me," she smiled at him wryly. She linked her fingers with his and squeezed back.

"It would be my pleasure," he replied seriously, his thumb almost absentmindedly tracing patterns on the palm of her hand.

"I might get very fat," she teased, trying to ignore the sparks that were shooting through her.

"Then we'll have to take many walks together after we eat," he smiled, his eyes crinkling. She found she had no words at the sight, so she simply nodded in acceptance.

"Okay," she said softly.

"Okay," he nodded in confirmation.

They went back to eating, each basking in the glow of the other's presence. _He really likes me_ Juliet thought with new found joy. _He really likes me, and I really like him back. _It was a simple realization, but a profound one. She looked back over at Ben, and found he was watching her, his expression pleased.

"What?" she asked, embarrassed.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked as though he already knew the answer, but she humored him with a nod. "Good," he said blithely. "Would you like some more ham?"

"Yes, please…and these potatoes are amazing. How did you make them?"

Juliet handed her plate over for seconds while Ben elaborated on the delicate art of roasting a potato. Apparently it required a great amount of olive oil, the perfect seasonings, and potatoes of an exact size. Juliet shook her head.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble for me, Ben," she said humbly. "I'd have been satisfied with a frozen pizza."

Ben looked comically appalled for a moment, and Juliet had to laugh.

"Believe me though," she added, putting her hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm grateful that you did!"

"Well, believe me Juliet, it was my pleasure to do it," he said, cocking his head to study her in the candlelight, his eyes warm.

She blushed and had to look away. She took a moment to glance around the room.

"Have you read all of those books?" she asked nodding towards his bookshelf.

"Of course," he snorted, sounding offended. "Do you think I'd have them just for show?"

"How about the piano? Do you play, or is it Alex's?"

"We both play, though I'm the more frequent user."

"I'd like to hear you sometime," she smiled.

"You say that now…" he grimaced comically.

"Where is Alex tonight?"

"Alex is at Danny and Colleen's. They're sort of her godparents, and she seems to prefer their company to mine as of late. However," he smirked. "When I told her that I'd asked you over for dinner this evening, she seemed positively delighted to make herself scarce…and not just to get away from me."

"Do you think she approves of us?" Juliet asked, giving Ben a conspiratorial glance.

"I daresay she does," he replied, returning her gaze thoughtfully.

"Good."

The eating continued in companionable silence. Eventually, Juliet finished the last few bites on her plate and leaned back in her chair, satisfied.

"More?" Ben asked.

"No, thank you," she held up her hands in surrender. "I can barely move."

Ben topped both of their wine glasses from what remained in the carafe, and then began clearing the table. Juliet jumped up to help, suddenly aware that she was slightly tipsy in the progress.

"Juliet, please," Ben protested as she began to pile her used utensils on her plate in order to take them to the sink. "Let me do this. You should sit."

"No way," she shook her head in response. "You did all the cooking. The least I can do is help you clean up." She grabbed her plate (and managed to snag his before he could stop her) as well as the empty wine carafe and took them to the sink. "Should I scrape these plates into the trash, or do you do something different?"

"The trash is fine," Ben sighed, bringing the platter of leftover ham and vegetables to the counter. "Though I really wish you would let me take care of this…I asked you here; this is supposed to be a date after all," Ben lingered on the word "date" as though it were unfamiliar to him, and he looked up at her with a hint of uncertainty.

"Just because this is a date," Juliet put the slightest emphasis on the "is" in response to his unspoken question. "Doesn't mean that you have to do all the work."

She scraped the few scraps left on their plates into the trashcan underneath Ben's sink. Next to her, Ben sighed again in exasperation, but began to take out containers from the cupboards above to store the leftovers in. Juliet moved back to the table and grabbed the last of the dirty dishes. She began to rinse them all in the sink, watching Ben out of the corner of her eye, noting how he meticulously separated the leftover asparagus spears from the roasted potatoes, storing each vegetable in a container that was exactly the right size to hold those remainders. The leftover ham he sliced into smaller pieces, which he then put into another appropriately sized container.

"Excuse me," he murmured, and his hand brushed against her hip as he reached for the drawer that held the tinfoil. She stepped out of his way and moved back into place when he'd procured the stuff. She watched him carefully wrap the ham bone.

"What will you do with that?" she asked as she rinsed out the ham's baking dish.

"Pea soup, probably," he replied. "Although Alex hates it. She says it stinks up the whole house."

Juliet laughed.

"Come make it at my place," she said casually. "Alex never has to know."

Ben laughed.

"Okay," he nodded. "Sometime later this week?" His eyes were hopeful.

It was Juliet's turn to nod…and blush. They were barely through their first date, and already, they had plans for another. Ben moved to put the tinfoil back in its drawer. Juliet stepped to the side without missing a beat.

Stacking all three containers and the wrapped ham bone, Ben picked them up simultaneously, walked over to the fridge, and put them inside.

"Do you think you'll be ready for dessert soon?" He asked her, his head still inside the refrigerator. Juliet looked back over her shoulder at him, inadvertently admiring the view of Ben's backside in his pressed khakis. "Juliet?" he turned slightly and caught her staring, his eyes following the path of her gaze before looking back at her with a knowingly raised eyebrow. Mortified, she turned back to the sink and began to rinse her fork furiously under the faucet

"Probably," she called back to him, relieved that her voice didn't crack or otherwise betray her embarrassment. _Kill me now. _"Why do you ask?"

"Because it needs to bake for a bit." He said, coming over to stand next to her again. She did not look at him, continuing to rinse the same utensil.

"_What_ needs to bake for a bit?" she asked, feeling his eyes on her, wishing the tell-tale heat in her cheeks would dissipate.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Juliet! Look!" he huffed. She turned.

He was holding a Pecan Pie. And it looked _good_. She grinned and clasped her wet hands in delight.

"That's my favorite…how do you _know _these things?" she sighed, embarrassment forgotten. Ben chuckled.

"It wasn't hard. You had a piece of one with your lunch in the cafeteria one day. I saw the look on your face when you ate it," he explained, turning to open the over door.

"And you…what? Filed that away for future reference?" she shot him a dubious look, unsure if she was flattered by his attention to detail or made uneasy by his scrutiny. She'd eaten that piece of pie months ago. How long had Ben had his eye on her?

"Yes, I did," he replied simply as he placed the pie inside, shut the door, and set it to bake. "It was a very memorable expression," he looked up at her cheekily.

Juliet snorted and turned back to the sink, but he caught her wet hands in his dry ones, holding her in place.

"Why don't you let those soak a bit, hmm?" he suggested, grabbing a clean dishtowel and patting her hands to dry them. "Come on…I'll play for you if you like."

She smiled and nodded in acquiescence. Wiping her hands and leaving the towel on the counter, she followed him into the living room. He stopped to pick up their wine glasses along the way, handing hers to her.

Ben sat down on the piano bench with the air of a maestro, casually placing his wine on the top of the piano, next to the sheet music. Juliet stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure of where to sit until he patted the remaining bench space on his right invitingly. She sat, noting that the bench was just big enough for two people to sit on, provided they didn't mind touching all along one side. She was intensely aware of the warmth radiating from the man next to her.

"So Juliet," Ben began conversationally as he leaned forward and began to flip through some sheet music. "Do you play at all?" Juliet groaned.

"I took four years worth of lessons in middle school and high school," she sighed and sipped at her wine. "And all I can remember how to play is _Chopsticks_, the first six bars of _Fur Elise_, and the top part to _Heart and Soul_," she grinned at him. "I'm afraid I was a very poor music student."

Ben smiled over at her.

"Play _Chopsticks_ for me," he requested.

"What?" she shook her head. "No, I can't. I'm terrible, really. Besides, I thought _you_ were going to play for _me_."

"Oh come now, Juliet-it's just _Chopsticks_. Besides, I'll accompany you." His hands moved automatically to the correct positions on the slick ivory keys, and he looked over at her expectantly.

"Fine, but remember, you asked for this," she grumbled under her breath and set her wine down atop the piano. She hesitantly placed her index finger and the middle finger of her right hand on the "F" and "G" keys.

"One-two-three, one-two-three…" Ben counted them off.

She started off terribly, missing notes, slightly buzzed off her third glass of wine, and riddled with performance anxiety in front of Ben. By the second time around, with Ben playing just the base notes along with her, Juliet started to feel it come back to her. How many times had she played this relatively simple piece back in the day? And with both hands! By the third time around, she nailed it and looked over at Ben triumphantly.

"Very good," he nodded, sounding like a proud instructor. "Now let's have some fun."

He started them off again, only this time, instead of simply playing the base notes to accompany her melody, Ben's clever fingers flew over the keys, producing rhythms and harmonies that, combined with her simple single note tune, made them both sound amazing together. Over and over again, Juliet repeated the melody while Ben found new ways to play around it. She laughed delightedly as his hands danced around arpeggios and produced genius bouts of syncopation. Sometimes his fingers stretched widely to hit an impossible array of notes at the same time, sometimes his harmonies were a simple, sweet counterpoint to her sparsely plucked tune, and when he finally signaled to her to play the final chords, their fingers met the keys together in perfect time.

"Wow," she gasped, turning to look at him as the last notes faded away. "That was amazing. Where did you learn to play like that?"

"I've been on this island for a long, long time, Juliet," Ben said with a touch of irony. "I had to find something else to occupy my time besides reading," he tilted his head towards the over-laden bookshelves. She smirked and looked back at the piano.

"Can we play something else? I mean, I don't know what..."

"Of course," Ben smiled. "Do you like Strauss?" She nodded. He flipped through the stand of sheet music and produced a copy of Th_e Blue Danube Waltz_. "You only have to play these top notes here…" He showed her the melody to the famous waltz, playing himself, allowing her to mimic him until she had it. "Ready?" he asked, and they were off.

She played with him through the first movement, the most famous movement, but after that, the piece got increasingly complicated, too complicated for her to keep up. Ben silently took over the piece without a break in the product, and Juliet gratefully leaned back, content simply to listen.

Ben played fluidly, beautifully, while Juliet sipped at her wine, eyes closed in appreciation. After awhile, she leaned her head lightly on Ben's shoulder, careful not to impede the movement of his hands, though she heard a sudden fluctuation in the tempo in response. She smiled. Ben smelled like soap, with a hint of aftershave, and he'd starched his shirt. She wondered if that was something he did regularly, or if it was just for this evening. She suspected it was something he did regularly—Ben didn't wrinkle easily.

He played on, adding his own flourishes to the piece, and when he was done. She sat up and clapped for him.

"More?" he asked softly.

"Please," she said back, just as softly. He smiled at her, unspeakably pleased, and began to play the first few notes of _Claire de Lune_.

"Mmm...I love this one," she sighed, settling her head back on his shoulder.

"You know, _Claire de Lune_ means 'moonlight' in French," Ben murmured over his playing.

"Does it?" she grinned into his shoulder.

He played, drawing out each sweet note, his fingers fluidly layering the chords. It was a shorter piece, though slower than _The Blue Danube_, and when he was done, Ben sat quietly for a moment, carefully not to disturb their physical contact. Eventually he reached down and covered her hand on the bench space between them.

"Have I put you to sleep?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear. She smiled and sighed.

"Not at all. It was wonderful. I'm…flattered."

"Flattered?" his tone was disbelieving.

His eyes were too blue, too close. She could see his mind whirring behind them.

"Well Juliet," he paused and considered her for a moment. "You're easy to please," he said finally, matter-of-factly, and she could hear the sentiment beneath his tone. His gaze flickered down to her mouth, and her heart began to race.

"Ben…" she sighed. That was all it took. He learned in, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face and cupping her cheek in one smooth motion.

"Juliet…" he whispered, and began to pull her towards him, even as he moved forward to meet her…

The timer on the stove began to beep. Incessantly.


	8. First Date--Part 2

Is it implausible fluff? Perhaps. Enjoy it anyway. :)

...

They both jumped, startled from the intimate cocoon they'd created together.

"Is the pie done already?" Juliet frowned, looking for a clock.

"No," Ben sighed. "I set the timer for just a few minutes so I could check on it." He rose reluctantly to go turn it off.

"Bad plan, Ben," Juliet deadpanned. Then she sighed, acknowledging the loss of the moment, and followed him into the kitchen. She stood in front of the sink and leaned her back against the countertop, watching as Ben grabbed a mitt and used it to open the oven door. At once, the mouth-watering smell of caramelized brown sugar and warm pecans wafted into the air.

"If that tastes half as good as it smells," Juliet sighed. "I might not be able to share."

Ben laughed as he reset the timer.

"I might like to see that," he grinned, his eyes resting on her slender waistline. "I mean, where would you put it all?"

"My hips," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "How much longer?" she inclined her head towards the stove.

"Another ten minutes, give or take," he replied.

"Good," she nodded. "May I use your bathroom?"

"Of course," he gestured down the hall.

Behind the safety of the closed bathroom door, Juliet reminded herself to breathe. So much had happened this evening, and she needed a moment to process alone without Ben's eyes on her.

She used the toilet, washed her hands, then braced them on the counter and looked up at her reflection in the mirror. _Ben almost kissed me_, she thought, watching a swift, secret smile pass across her face in the mirror. She felt giddy.

Taking a few breaths to calm herself, Juliet smoothed her hair, and took in her surroundings. Ben's bathroom was as neat as the rest of his house. The towels were crisply folded and evenly draped over their bars. There wasn't a single smudge on the mirror, not a hair in the sink…how did anyone manage to be so clean? Had he scoured the whole house before her arrival?

Juliet thought guiltily of her own house. When she'd arrived, it had been just as spotless as Ben's, and while she certainly hadn't trashed the place by any means, it was definitely a bit more 'lived in' now. She scoffed and shook her head. She'd have to be sure to straighten up a bit if Ben ever came over-the thought of him in _her _bathroom made her cringe with embarrassment.

Smoothing her hair down again, she left the bathroom and rejoined Ben in the kitchen. He was just taking the pie out of the oven. The entire house smelled like heaven.

"There you are!" he called over his shoulder. "Just in time."

Juliet moved to stand beside him, and they looked down at the pecan pie together.

"Wow Ben, this is a masterpiece of epicurean engineering," she grinned. Ben glanced down at the floor, his expression sheepish.

"Oh please…" he scoffed, but she cut him off.

"I'm serious!" she whispered in mock reverent tones, nudging him with her shoulder, enjoying his bashful response "Not a pecan out of place, perfectly caramelized on the top, crust golden brown…I'm not sure if I should eat it or worship it!"

"Oh, enough already!" Ben snorted. He was blushing furiously as he pulled open a drawer and pulled dessert forks out for both of them. "Put these on the table."

Juliet complied, watching him as he went to the freezer and pulled out a carton of vanilla ice cream and two small plates. He set them next to the pie.

"Seriously? You've _chilled_ the dessert plates?"

Ben didn't answer, but Juliet could see he was shaking his head at her as he donned an oven mitt to cut the still-warm pie. He put a slice on each of the dessert plates, along with a scoop of ice cream. He put the ice cream carton back in the freezer, and then brought their dessert over to the table.

"I don't know about this Ben," she was still teasing him. "Usually I eat my ice cream straight out of the carton…"

"If you continue to mock me," he intoned, standing next to her, holding her plate. "Then you won't have any dessert at all."

"No!" she cried clutching at his forearm in false panic, trying not to laugh. "I promise I'll be good!"

He set her plate in front of her, and took his seat with his own plate in front of him.

"Be careful, it's still hot," he warned her. His face was stern, but his eyes were full of amusement. Juliet loaded her fork with a bite of pie and a dollop of ice cream and took her first bite, aware that Ben was watching her every move. The flavor was bliss, pure bliss. She closed her eyes and shook her head in appreciation.

"How is it?" Ben asked smugly.

"Divine," she sighed. "Too good for words. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he sighed.

They ate quietly, but their gazes kept meeting and then breaking away, like shy teenagers. Juliet wondered if he would try to kiss her again this evening, or if maybe _she'd_ have a chance to kiss _him_, short of just leaping over the table and attacking his face…not that she thought he'd mind.

Suddenly, she was nervous. Her stomach was churning, and her heart felt like to was trying to break through her ribs. She looked down at her plate, embarrassed by her sudden shyness, hoping Ben wasn't reading her mind…though he probably was.

"We should do these dishes after dessert," she muttered.

"What? Why?" Ben was baffled.

"Well," she smiled weakly at him. "I didn't sing for my supper, and you've seen how poorly I play the piano, but dishes…dishes I at least can do."

She ate her last bite of pie and stood, collecting her plate and fork, and carried them to the sink where the rest of the dishes were soaking. She slid her dishes in, then when back to the table to offer to collect Ben's.

He silently handed them up to her, and she pretended not to notice his too intense gaze. She could see his mind working behind those eyes, see him trying to figure out what had her acting so spooked all of a sudden. She felt guilty for a moment, wishing she could tell him, but unsure of how to say it all without revealing what a head case she was.

She went back to the sink with his plate and slid it in to soak with the others. She heard Ben get up and move about behind her, but she kept her eyes focused on the task at hand. Ben suddenly appeared next to her, holding their two wine glasses, which he must had retrieved from the top of the piano. There was a swallow or two of wine left in each of them. Ben handed her the glass with the lipstick prints at the top, then proceeded to drink the remainders of his glass, motioning for her to do the same. She did and set the glass on the sideboard. She'd wash it last, since it was too delicate to be in the sink with the other, heavier dishes. Ben set his glass next to hers and said nothing as he watched her rinse out the sponge and pour a stripe of detergent across the top of it. Without a word, he reaching into a nearby drawer and pulled out a fresh dishtowel. He ran the material through his hands and looked at her expectantly.

She started with their dinner plates, scrubbed, rinsed them, and handed them to Ben to dry. Ben buffed the plates with his towel, and then flung the towel casually over his shoulder as he went to put the plates back into their proper cabinets. Somewhere along the way, he rolled up his sleeves a bit more securely, and Juliet couldn't help but notice the he had nice, solid-looking forearms.

She handed him the dripping clean serving plate with a small smile, which he reciprocated, deftly manipulating the heavy dish in his hands, towel swirling across its surface. He put the dish away, then came back to stand next to her at the sink.

"Juliet," he finally spoke, his voice soft and coaxing. "Is something on your mind?"

She braced her hands on the counter and sighed.

"Yes," she replied resignedly. "But it's silly."

"Silly?" he leaned against the counter, mimicking her body language. "How so?"

"It's just that…" she started to say, but made the mistake of looking over at those too-intense blue eyes and lost her nerve. She picked up the sponge and started to clean a fork a bit too vigorously.

"It's just that…" Ben prodded.

"Your bathroom is really clean," she blurted, gesturing down the hallway with the half-cleaned fork.

"My bathroom…what?"

"Yes, you heard me," she barreled on, scrubbing at the fork again in a vain attempt to deal with her anxiety and avoid his gaze. "Your bathroom is freakishly clean, and so is the rest of your house, and you cook exceptionally well, play the piano like a virtuoso, and you _notice_ things, like, not just things about me, but about everything…nothing seems to get by you," she was babbling now, and she couldn't seem to stop. She rinsed the now very clean fork and handed it to him. He took it automatically, seeming uncertain of what else to do. "So, I can't help wondering _when is he going to figure it out?_"

"Figure what out?" Ben asked calmly.

"That I'm a _mess_!" she muttered at him. He looked shocked for a moment, but then a small smile began to creep across his face.

"Oh, is that all?" he chuckled, infuriating her.

"Don't you dare laugh at me! I'm serious!

"Really?" Ben looked amused. He was finding her breakdown amusing.

She nodded over to the refrigerator and pointed at it accusingly. "I was serious when I told you that I eat my ice cream straight from the carton! And I use the same spoon for it over and over again, and I don't even _wash_ it! Sometimes, I don't even _rinse_ it! I keep it right next to the fridge, like a ritual or something…"

Oh, she had really lost it now, but he was just standing there, not saying a word, listening attentively, which only drove her need to shock him to greater heights.

"Sometimes I let the ice cream sit out for too long until it's practically soup, and then I put it _back _in the freezer, and it gets those yucky ice crystals all over it, and the texture gets all grainy, but _I'll_ _eat it anyway_!" she hissed. Under her glare, Ben's composure finally cracked, but instead of yelling at her or making a cutting remark, he simply started laughing.

"Oh, that's _disgusting_!" he snorted, his expression tight with repressed mirth. "I mean, really, Juliet, for shame!"

He turned back to the sink, picking up the sponge she'd dropped in there, and proceeded to start scrubbing another fork. His lack of a response gave Juliet a chance to calm down for a minute. She walked over to him and leaned forward, putting her elbows on the counter and her head in her hands.

"I'm serious, Ben. I'm afraid...so afraid…of disappointing everyone…especially you, especially now that I'm…I mean, we're…" she trailed off and looked up at him pleadingly. He caught her eye and looked down at her not unkindly.

"One step at a time," he said softly. "You've put the whole world on your shoulders here, Juliet, and you don't have to carry the burden alone. You're one of us now…let us in, let us help you. We're a family here, and we welcome you to be a part of it…and as far as disappointing me…" He dried his hands briefly on the dishtowel, then used one to cup her face gently. "That's nothing you need to worry about. You're assuming you are the only one here with concerns. I'm a single dad...I have a teenage daughter," he chuckled. "Believe me, my life is far from perfect. Now," he handed her the dishtowel. "Let's switch. I'll wash: you dry. It'll give you a chance to see where I keep the ice cream bowls…you know, in case you ever feel like using them," he quipped. She laughed and stood up, taking a deep breath.

"I didn't mean to loose it like that. I'm sorry," she apologized, bumping him affectionately with her shoulder. He handed her one of their dessert plates. "Thank you for being so…calm."

"It's fine," he replied with a small smile. "I only ask that in the future, you do the same for me."

"Oh? Are you planning on having a meltdown at some point soon?" she laughed as she put the plate away.

"One never knows," he sighed, continuing to wash.

Juliet continued to dry, asking Ben occasionally for directions to the proper cupboard as she put things away. With her fears allayed, she was suddenly able to focus on how adorable she found Ben when he was elbow deep in dirty dishwater. He seemed to feel her eyes on him, looking up and catching her gaze on purpose, making her blush and look away, both thrilled and ashamed for being caught staring.

Finally, he grabbed their last two wineglasses and put them in the sink. She heard him make a small grunt of dismay as she was putting the baking tray away under the oven.

"What's wrong?" she called to him over her shoulder.

"Nothing, would you mind rolling up my sleeve for me?"

"Sure," Juliet smiled and moved to his side. This was a common problem she'd faced many a time while doing the dishes by hand on this island. In one hand, Ben was holding a soapy, wet wineglass, his other hand was held up above the waterline, still holding the sponge, sleeve dangling at the wrist.

She slid one arm between his elbow and ribcage, the other on the opposite side of his straightened arm. She was aware that she was standing just a bit closer to him than she needed to be, but she didn't care. Slowly, she peeled back his sleeve and folded it by increments up the length of his arm. She heard a hitch in his breathing, and saw the hand that held the wineglass twitch in response to her ministrations.

"Above or below the elbow?" she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Um, above," Ben stuttered, seeming uncertain of how to deal with her blatant flirtation. She complied, turning his sleeve up and over his elbow, making sure to brush her fingers over it as she did so. Next to her, Ben twitched ever-so-slightly. She smiled and looked into his face.

His expression was openly adoring.

"Thank you," he murmured, his eyes moving down her face to focus on her mouth. His expression took on the look she'd seen earlier in the lab. _Oh please…please, please, please…_

She reached up and slid one of her hands along the side of his face, cupping his jawline, smoothing the pad of her thumb over his cheekbone. His eyes closed blissfully, but he didn't move, as though he was afraid she'd stop if he did. He was still holding the wineglass and the sponge. She slid her other hand up the back of his neck and into his hair. It was soft under her fingers, and the hissing sound he made as he exhaled let her know that she was doing something right. She swirled her fingers through the softness, and slowly, ever so slowly, began to pull his face towards hers.

She'd barely registered the feel of his lips against hers when she heard the snapping sound.

Jumping back, she looked at Ben's face in horror, trying to see what had happened. His eyes were still closed, but his expression was one of pain, rather than one of joy. Her gaze trailed down his arms, where in one hand, he was still holding a sponge, but in the other, holding the remains of a shattered wineglass.

"Oh Ben!" she cried, cupping his hand, gently trying to pry it open. "What happened?" She pulled the trashcan out from under the sink and held his hand over it.

"I…um…squeezed it a bit too hard, I'm afraid," he chuckled ruefully. He opened his hand and allowed a few bits of glass to drop into the trash. Juliet turned his hand over, palm up, and was horrified to see a thin stream of blood dripping from the meaty base of his thumb. A chunk of glass was embedded in his flesh.

"Oh, this is going to need stitches," she shook her head, suddenly becoming a doctor. "We're going to have to go to the infirmary."

Ben nodded, but said nothing.

She reached into the same drawer she'd seen Ben pull a fresh dishtowel from earlier, and grabbed another one to wrap his hand in. She made sure it was a darker color so that his blood wouldn't make a noticeable stain.

"Hold on," he said. Juliet watched, horrified, as he deftly pulled the shard of glass from his hand.

"Wait, stop!" she touched his arm, but he was too quick for her.

"It's all right," he said numbly, walking over to the trash and dropping the glass in. "It wasn't in there too deeply."

She sighed and shook her head at him, reaching over and wrapping his hand more securely in the towel. Without the glass to block the flow, the wound was bleeding freely.

"Let's go," she said. "Keep applying pressure."

Together, they walked out of the house, into the dark, and made their way along the lighted path to the infirmary building. They didn't speak, but Ben was holding his hand tightly, his lips pursed into a thin line. Juliet walked hesitantly beside him, feeling guilty and concerned all at once. She shouldn't have tried kiss him while he was holding that fragile glass. That had been foolish.

She looked over at Ben, searching his face for some insight into what he was thinking. He was looking at the ground, lost in thought or shock…she couldn't tell. She wanted to say something, to apologize, or something, but it didn't seem like a good time.

They reached the infirmary quickly, and Juliet ushered Ben inside.

"Rinse out the cut as best as you can," she said, directing him towards the sink. "Make sure there's no more glass in it."

"Of course," Ben went straight to the sink and followed her instructions. Juliet went to the supply shelf and found a sterile suture kit. While Ben was still rinsing, she set up a small station, draping a clean towel over the counter and bringing over a lab light. Running back to the supply shelf, she grabbed a syringe of lidocaine, rubber gloves, and a few extra sterile towels. She heard the running water stop and turned to see how Ben was getting along.

"Come over here," she said, motioning to her station and sliding her hands into the gloves.

"It's still bleeding," Ben said, cradling his hand. He sat down on a stool and laid his arm across the counter for her inspection.

"I'll bet. There are a lot of capillaries in that section of your hand," she gently patted the blood away with the extra towels and examined his wound under the bright lamp. "This doesn't look too deep, though." She reached for the lidocaine and prepped the needle. "You might want to look away for this part," she said, looking up at him as she bent over his hand.

"It's all right," he sighed. "Just do what you need to do."

Juliet carefully, precisely injected the numbing agent into Ben's bleeding hand. He didn't even flinch.

"How does that feel?" she asked. "Are you numb?"

He nodded, but said nothing.

"Okay…here we go."

She threaded the curved suturing needle and used a pair of tweezers to manipulate it into making several tiny stitches along Ben's sliced incision, pausing occasionally to wipe away the blood with a gauze pad. Five stitches later, she tied a knot and cut the thread. There was still a bit of bleeding around the cut, so she applied pressure on top of the stitches with another gauze pad while simultaneously holding Ben's hand.

"I'm really sorry about this," she said, looking up from his hand to study his face.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he replied evenly. "This was clearly an accident."

"But still," she reached out with her free hand and sandwiched his injured one between her own. "I didn't think…I mean, I didn't want our date to end like this, exactly."

"Oh? How did you see it ending?" Ben queried, raising an eyebrow. Juliet blushed, but couldn't formulate a proper response, so she simply proceeded to adhere a bandage over Ben's stitches.

"The lidocaine is going to wear off in a few hours," she told him, standing and disposing of the remnants of her suture kit. She left the room for a moment to dig around in the pharmacy and came back with a bottle of painkillers. "Take these if you need them."

"I'll do that," Ben said, watching her carefully. "Do you think it will hurt much?"

"Given the location, I'd have to say yes," Juliet replied, still not meeting his eyes. "That part of your hand is especially vulnerable…it's nearly impossible to use your thumb without affecting it. Again, read the label and take two if you're in pain."

"Thank you, Juliet; I will." Ben replied. He opened is mouth as if to say something more, but seemed to decide against it and simply took the bottle she was proffering.

"Come on," she sighed. "I'll walk you back."

They strolled along the path towards Ben's house in complete silence. Ben walked next to her, and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to go back, but his expression was inscrutable. Juliet glanced at him repeatedly, wishing he'd tell her what he was thinking, but he pretended not to notice her heavy glances.

"Does your hand hurt?" she finally asked.

"No," he replied, looking straight ahead.

"Are you sure?" she wheedled.

"Yes."

"Because if it does," she went on, pretending not to notice his terse one-word answers. "I won't think any less of you for taking a dose of the pills I gave you…I made sure they were the good kind."

"Oh?" he scoffed, which Juliet took as a good sign.

"Oh yeah," she raised her eyebrows at him and nodded knowingly. "The good stuff."

She heard him chuckle under his breath and watched him shake his head in mock disapproval.

"Thank you," he muttered with a touch of ire.

"Oh," she grinned. "You are most welcome."

Ben's uninjured right hand was hanging somewhat stiffly at his side, and Juliet, now that crisis seemed to be past and mindful of the tantalizing _almost_ kiss she and Ben had nearly shared not so long before, decidedly to boldly go and slip her left hand into that right one. And so she did—sliding her fingers down his wrist, over his palm, and lacing her fingers with his, squeezing lightly.

Ben stopped suddenly, and Juliet stumbled slightly in an effort to stop with him. She gripped his hand tighter, and he pulled her back towards him reflexively.

"What are you doing?" he asked, staring at their linked hands as she straightened. His eyes were suspicious, but he didn't let go.

"Well Ben," she sighed with a measure of exaggerated patience. "I was attempting to hold your hand, if that's okay with you."

"Well yes, Juliet," he snapped back in annoyance. "That part I managed to comprehend, but what I don't understand is _why _you're doing it."

"Well, I," she stuttered, taken aback. "I was just…I mean, do you not want me to hold your hand?"

"Oh, of course I do," he sighed as though she were a very silly girl. "But I didn't think you would _want _to, considering the fact that I just bled copiously all over the both of us, and you had to sew pieces of my flesh back together. A bit of a mood killer, wouldn't you agree?" he sent a swift, searching glance over her face and looked away.

She grinned and squeezed his hand reassuringly, pulling herself a little closer to him. Ben looked back at her, startled.

"It was maybe a little bit of a mood killer," she smiled. "Probably a whole lot more for you than for me," she sent a significant glance at his injured hand, then looked back to his face and smiled. "But it's going to make for a really excellent first date story," she chuckled peevishly, and was relieved to see him smile in response. She playfully pulled him a little bit further along the path to a slightly more secluded location, almost giggling. Ben's expression was curious, then surprised as Juliet pulled him to her and slid her arms around his waist.

"And just think," she murmured into his ear as Ben's arms hesitantly wrapped themselves around her shoulders. "Of what Tom's face will look like when we tell him that after I stitched you up, we made out on the pathway behind his house…"

"We _what_?" he started, but she cut him off and gently brushed her mouth against his with slow deliberation.

"_Juliet…_" he gasped and she did it again until he gripped her shoulders and started to kiss her back, desperately, with an aching sweetness that gave her goose bumps in the cooling night air. They broke apart for a moment to breathe before Ben wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her slender form back against him, clutching her as though he were afraid she would disappear. She rested her chin on his shoulder and her hands found purchase on his shoulder blades. She leaned in and just allowed herself to be held.

"You should be warned…I'm not very experienced with this sort of thing," he whispered into her ear, the darkness and seclusion making his admission safe to speak aloud.

"Could've fooled me," she whispered running her thumbs back and forth over his shoulders and neck. "But don't worry, you'll learn."

As she spoke, she slid her hand up the back of his neck and into his hairline. He sighed blissfully and repeated the gesture on her, sliding one hand into her hair and then another through its silken weight. He pressed his lips gently to the sensitive spot on her neck and Juliet gasped, then giggled in embarrassment at how loud it was in the quiet night, suddenly aware that anyone could potentially come along the path and see them.

Ben chuckled with her and pulled back in acknowledgement of the need for them to move along. He took her hand, brought it to his lips briefly and then didn't let go as he started down the path once more. Juliet followed him, sending secret messages conveyed by the squeezing of his hand and receiving them back in return.

They were both very pleased with themselves when they arrived back to Ben's house and stood facing one another on the porch.

"Would you like to come back inside?" he asked he hopefully and without a hint of the suggestiveness that would usually accompany such a suggestion. "There's still practically a whole pecan pie in there."

Juliet laughed and shook her head regretfully. "I'm afraid I'll have to pass for now," she sighed. "But, should you feel at all inclined to bring a piece to the lab for me…at maybe around 12:30?" she hinted. "I'd be more than happy to oblige you."

"Very well," he nodded, looking pleased. "I'll see you then."

"Okay," she nodded. There was a pause. "Well, um, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"I hope your hand feels better tomorrow."

"Oh," Ben looked down as though he'd completely forgotten his hand. "Thank you."

"Yeah…well…" she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Goodnight."

As though he suddenly realized why she was lingering, Ben whispered, "goodnight" before leaning in and giving Juliet a kiss that much more than a peck on the lips. His mouth moved against hers slowly, and then a little more insistently. Juliet answered his efforts enthusiastically, and when she moved her lips to plant a kiss to the side of his throat, Ben made a strangled sound she'd never heard before and was shocked when he backed her up against the nearest post holding up the roof over his porch.

"Ben!" she gasped in surprise.

"Too much?" he looked up at her, suddenly uneasy.

"No," she shook her head and grinned at him wickedly. Ben started to grin in return, but she kissed him before he could complete it. With her back to the post, the slight difference in their heights was negligible, and Ben used it to his full advantage, allowing his hands to roam down her sides, over her hips, and back up. Juliet explored his chest and stomach with her hands, finding to her delight that, while Ben had the illusion of being slight, he was solid and wiry under his starched shirt. She was about to explore further when a soft _ahem_ caused them to jump away from each other somewhat guiltily.

Alex surveyed the scene before her, her expression a mix of amusement and annoyance. She looked over at her father as she strolled up the steps and to the front door of the house.

"I'm home," she casually called out to him as she passed by. "Goodnight _dad_," she smirked as she went inside and closed the door behind her.

Ben and Juliet exchanged an awkward glance, then both laughed and blushed in embarrassment.

"I guess we should call it a night," she sighed.

"Until tomorrow?" he asked, taking her hand. She nodded, and he planted a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Goodnight, Juliet."

"Goodnight, Ben."


End file.
